


CFV-Y

by BubbleSorted



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Coco is in charge, F/F, F/M, Flashbacks, Fox is blind and he could not care less, Minor Bumblebee/Splitting Hares/Designer Shades, Minor Original Character(s), Point of Canon Divergence - End of RWBY Season Three, Rare Pairing, Slow Burn, Snail Burn? Is that a thing?, Swearing, Velvet is badass, War, Yang is getting there, characters in order of appearance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-27 18:15:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 98,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12086622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BubbleSorted/pseuds/BubbleSorted
Summary: Yang Xiao Long must find a way to deal with her physical and psychological losses to get back on her feet. But when in the wake of the Vytal Festival and the Fall of Beacon political tensions between Atlas and Vale escalate into open war, her fleeting progress all but vanishes.At her lowest, an opportunity arises that she’ll simply have to take. And soon she might realize that you can find comfort and safety in the unlikeliest company.





	1. Wake Of A New Day

**Thursday, 5 a.m.**  
**Four months after the Fall of Beacon**

 

Silence fell over the early morning hours of the small island, only occasionally disrupted by low whistles of the wind and dimmed thumbs of dropping snow. There had not been new snowfall for days but the dry coldness of the new year’s first winter weeks plastered the land with soft, powder-like white, sliding off the branches of numerous elder trees.

Yang Xiao Long stood on the balcony of her childhood home, the wood cleaned diligently from wayward snow. Her left hand was resting on the railing as she blended herself into the silence surrounding her. Breathing in the fresh winter air, she was shivering from the low winter breeze, a feeling she grew accustomed to over the last months. She almost appreciated the reasonably new sensation, the fire within her that keep her warm all these years long gone and nearly forgotten.

Her eyes wandered to the bandaged stump on her right, the arm cut off just above the elbow. The clean white of the cloth meticulously wrapped around it, barely standing out from the snow in the backyard. The wound underneath the fabric long healed but shrouded from unwanted eyes. Much had changed for her since that fateful day. Granted much had changed for everyone else too, the world in a constant, uncertain flux. Not that it mattered to Yang. Her world barely stretched past her wooden home in the forest. For the longest time, it barely made it out of her bedroom.

Her weary eyes returning to the horizon, still darkened by night, the glow of the rising sun signaling a new day, yet an hour or so away. She did not mind waking up this early, giving that there was barely a night where she did not wake up drenched in her sweat, panting heavily and clutching her stump. Nightmares of the tournament, of that fateful day, of Beacon, of HIM … and her … Just thinking about it send guilt and fear running through her body causing involuntary shudders, trembling. She pushed those feelings down; she would not stand for it. Not again. Even for weeks, she was too paralyzed to leave the bed, her mind playing everything back to her over and over again. Guilt and fear. Guilt for what she caused at the tournament. Guilt for forcing her teammates to face the attack alone. Fear of that man. Fear of the future without an arm. Fear of herself for being too blinded by rage to remember even the most basic rules of combat. Guilt for being useless to everyone, of being a burden to her sister Ruby, who left without her because Yang was worthless. Guilt towards her father who would not chase after his youngest daughter because he had to take care of his crippled daughter. Fear of her partner who ...

Yang’s left fist collided with the railing to snap her out of her thoughts. With controlled breaths, she managed to stop her shaking completely. She had come to terms with her failures, with what she had done and caused. She moved past that. She swore that to herself weeks ago. She promised herself that she would make up for it, atone for her sins, maybe that would cause the nightmares to go, the fear to disappear. So she won’t let those treacherous feelings stop her now, not when she had work to do.

Yang let out a deep sigh as she turned on her heels, heavy boots leaving audible thumps on the wood, piercing through the silence of the dawn. She closed the balcony door to the house behind her and walked through the small corridor past her room down the stairs towards the kitchen. She switched on the TV while preparing enough coffee and food to get her through the day.

_“…and today completes the second week of no Grimm alerts in Vale. It seems that Glynda Goodwitch’s combined force of hunters and the civilian militia is living up to promises made.” “That is right Lisa, the costly recapture of the former Beacon Academy seems to be paying off in the long run.” “That is good to hear Daisy, but what about the people? Valid concerns that Goodwitch is essentially running a military state were certainly not unfounded.” “Well Lisa, I can’t dismiss those concerns entirely, but it seems that with the recent success the end seems to justify the means. With Goodwitch’s troops roaming the streets crime rates are dropping by the day, and White Fang attacks are getting stopped more effectively. It is hard to argue with that. The army is also actively helping with the election process for the new council, keeping politicians save so they won’t end like their predecessors. So at the time, it seems concerns about a military coup seem to be unfounded.” “That is good to hear, but what about the growing tensions with Atlas?” “Unfortunately, that is hard to tell, Lisa. The citizens of Vale made it very clear that they did not believe the explanation Atlas and the former Vale council offered after the fall of Beacon. And while we cannot condone the ensued riots and executions we have to accept the fact that the murder of the Vale council and attacks on Atlas representatives in Vale and Atlas may have severely damaged the kingdom's relations of many years to come. However, with Atlas closing its borders and stopping all trade towards Vale and without a functioning government it is tough to …”_

Yang let out a sigh as she turned off the news. She had heard the same thing with only slight variations for weeks now. It was a mystery to Yang how the media can manage to over-complicate the simplest things and stretch them into week-long discussions. No matter how you justify and present the events, in the end, it’ll always be the same fundamental truth: the Vale and Atlas governments told the people about Cinder’s faction and the White Fang, but they waited a whole month to do so. By then everybody already blamed Atlas, and by siding with Atlas, the Vale council was considered an accomplice. So the people took matters into their own hands until Goodwitch stepped up with the other hunters and put an end to the bloody violence and street justice. Since then Goodwitch had tried to establish some order, but with the CCT down and Grimm attacks on a daily basis, it was tough.

Yang finished preparing her food and put it and a thermos of coffee into her supply bag before making her way towards the entrance. Situated on a small table in front of the wardrobe mirror rested her weapon, or at least what was still left of it. Ha, left of it. Formerly she would have giggled and mentally high-fived herself for that small pun, considering only the left half of her gauntlets was still in her possession, but she was way past such simple joys. Carefully and with a bit of a struggle, she slit her gauntlet on her wrist. Even in its collapsed form, she had not been able to get used to putting it on one-handed. Her lilac eyes traced up towards her reflection in the mirror. Her long, blond hair tied in a messy ponytail and held together with three red hair clips, was more functional this way than she used to wear it before. Her old hairstyle required time and effort and managing it was too much of a bother at this point. She was wearing a simple gray hoodie, and gray jeans tugged into her heavy, knee-high leather boots. A look, which just a few months ago she would not have been caught dead with, but that was then; now it served his purpose. Not that the knot tied neatly in her hoodie by her father did her much favor in the beauty department anyway. Neither did the big, dark bags under her eyes or the fallen-in face courtesy of week after week of refused meals, inadequate nutrition, and nightmare filled nights. She still managed to maintain a healthy amount of muscle mass, though that was more the result of recent activities.

As she wiggled herself in a dull, brown winter coat, that almost reached down to her ankles and made her way towards the back exit of the house, Zwei joined her side. While the corgi barked and bounced happily around her, she allowed herself a small, rare smile. The situation she found herself in currently was indeed somewhat comical of sorts as she reflected how she ended up here:

 

Naturally, with Goodwitch in charge, that meant there was a need for trained hunters, so it was not before long that Glynda came to visit Yang’s father in their home in Patch. Even though reluctant to leave his daughter, being the man he is, Taiyang Xiao Long agreed to help out as much as he could. Glynda, in fact, walked up to Yang in her bedroom to reassure her that there would always be a place for her once she was ready, but it did not escape her that Glynda had a look of pity on her face, nor that she had automatically assumed what Yang already knew. Right now, she would not even be of use in a militia of farmers and street performers. So Yang stayed in bed and wallowed in self-regret and guilt while over the weeks her father kept staying away longer and longer. One time he was away for a few days, and Yang was faced with the decision to either, dramatically speaking, die in her bed or finally leave her room for more than her bathroom trips and make herself something to eat. So she did.

Yang failed more times than she cared to remember just trying to get something edible into a pan but in the end, she managed, and the blonde got rewarded by a sense of accomplishment she had not had for a long time. She wasn’t entirely helpless and useless after all. So she started more tasks around the house. First order of business was feeding Zwei, the lovable dog who either didn’t grasp her troubles or he merely dismissed them as unimportant. He loved her unconditionally, and the dog waited patiently while she found out that opening a can of dog food one-handed proved to be harder than one of Doctor Oobleck’s history tests. But in the end, she managed like she managed to do chores from getting the mail to cutting wood and lighting the house’s fireplace. Step by step she managed to accomplish all the tasks she could think of, and when her father came home after a week looking worse for wear, he lit up brightly as he saw her sitting on the living room floor playing with Zwei. Of course, her newfound independence only led to her father being away even more often, and so her enthusiasm dimmed rather quickly and faded into a dull routine.

Though one day, a few weeks ago, she was faced with an unexpected problem. Her father was away for a fortnight straight as the doorbell rung. Managing to look acceptably decent Yang opened the door to see one of the elder citizens of the island. She was familiar with the old lady; she ran the local bookstore. Yang used to visit it often in her childhood, always asking her for more stories and fairy tales the blonde could lend to read for Ruby. After the fall of Beacon, she came to visit Yang sometimes, but Yang never was good company back then.

“Yang, my dear. How are you? It is so good to see you back on your feet.” She asked back then with a genuine smile on her face, but Yang could tell by her worn look and strained expression that something was amiss.

“Doing better, Miss Gramforth. I have to.” Yang managed to produce a weak smile just as Zwei brushed past her legs barking happily in front of the old woman.

“Good day to you too, Zwei.” She knelt down slowly to pet the corgi while looking up at Yang. “I knew it would not take you long to get back up. You were always so full of fire and determination back in the day. Always chasing dangers and not backing down from anything. You should come down to the town from time to time. I am sure people would love to see you up and about.”

“I’ll think about it, Miss Gramforth. And I am sorry for being more distant during your last visits. I wasn’t quite myself. But do come in. Winter is just around the corner, and it’s much cozier inside.”

As she stepped from the door, Miss Gramforth stood and slowly shook her head. “I’d love to, dear, but this is not one of my usual visits. Truth be told, I came to ask if your father has returned yet.”

“I’m afraid not. I know Dad is overdue to return, but it is rather common to get his plans delayed these days.”

The old woman looked slightly defeated at that. “I see. That is not good news, not good indeed. Here I was hoping he could help us town folk out of the misery we are in.”

Yang rose an eyebrow at that. Patch was somewhat isolated, and she did not think that problems requiring a veteran hunter would come up here. “Misery? What do you mean?”

“Well, you see, as you said Winter is approaching and normally we would go out and refill the firewood stocks before it gets too cold. As you know, Patch is still home to some small numbers of Beowolves. Normally Signal Academy sends a group of students with a teacher to keep them away from our workers but with the academy closed due to the recent troubles we were in need to hire other hunters so far.” That was right, even though Patch was home to one of Vale’s primary combat schools it was still low populated and had a distinct town feel. In Yang’s opinion, Patch had all the shops and facilities it needs, but its inhabitants take pride and joy in living less industrialized than the rest of Vale, it was part of its charm. Still, it yielded problems. ”However none seem to have time to help us this time around. No matter where we ask the response is always that they are occupied in Vale City. We do not know why, but we think it is because of the attempt to retake Beacon Academy, though we can’t be too certain about that. So we thought we could ask your father to help us out, even though he is retired and this would be way below his pay grade. But seeing as he is not here, I thought that you would be willing to help us out, my dear?”

Yang involuntarily took a step back and looked at the floor. “I … don’t think I can help you, Miss Gramforth.”

The woman took on a stern expression. “Nonsense! I saw you pummel a Beowolf only weeks into your training at Signal. That handful of Grimm won’t even be a challenge for you now.”

Yang could not manage to look the old lady in the eyes; even Zwei looked up at her slightly wincing. “I … can’t fight anymore. Not after … not after what happened.“ When she trailed off, she only raised her stump as an answer.

Miss Gramforth tilted her head slightly and gave her a knowing smile. “Yang … do you remember little Brawn Hedgens?”

Yang raised her head in surprise, not expecting to get confronted with a memory long past, her first day at Signal. When she did not answer, the old lady continued. “He was in his last year at Signal when you started. Tai and young Ruby came to see you off. And you know how your sister was and I assume still is. She rushed straight to a group of older students to admire their weapons. One of them, little Brawn got annoyed by her antics and lifted her by the collar. You rushed in head first and challenged him to a duel for your sister's honor.” The old lady started giggling at that. “I think you read to much of the old knight tales I gave you. When they just laughed you decided to provoke them further. Do you remember what you said?”

Yang slowly looked up at the smiling woman and took a few seconds before answering. “I said that I could defeat a punk like him with my right arm tied behind my back.”

“And you did do just that after he didn’t back down. And now you want to tell me that all these years of training did make you weaker than you were back then? What are a few Grimm if it means getting our workers back home safe?”

“I … I …” Yang struggled to form a response. Even with one arm, a few Grimm should be manageable. Still, she hesitated. Overcoming her fear to get out of bed was one thing but this … this step was different. She closed her eyes and balled her left into a fist. She was a huntress in training once damn it. Protecting people was her job, she signed up for that. And even if she cannot hunt like she used to, she sure as hell can stand guard. Besides after all she caused in the wake of the tournament, was it such a bad idea to try and pay some of her debt off? Start making amends for what she did … why not start here?

“… When do you guys want to head out?”

The smile on Miss Gramforth brightened even further. “Tomorrow morning if that’ alright with you, my dear.”

“I’ll be there.”

 

Reaching the back exit of the house and opening the door she took a look at the horizon, now slowly beginning to paint itself in the colors of a new winter morning. She did indeed remember that day she helped the townsfolk out fondly. She even got to punch and kill the sole Beowolf stupid enough to try and approach them, and the feeling of that almost woke a fire in her she had thought long forgotten. Nothing like she was used to feel, but it was a start. So when Miss Gramforth came back after a few days to ask to help the local game hunters, she agreed. And after that, she helped out construction workers built communication relays in the forest, and the fishermen with their catch, which sooner than later contained the occasional aquatic Grimm. By now she handled every task for hunters on Patch, even when her father or other hunters were available. The townsfolk preferred her helping them out, and Yang thought it was their way of helping her back on her feet. She was fortunate and grateful to have her hometown look after her like that.

She was just about to start a day of patrolling the town borders checking on the communication relay as Zwei gave out a happy bark and started towards the front door, tail wiggling vigorously. The trusty dog always had Yang’s back out there, at this rate even making it seem like he was pulling more weight than herself. Yang looked back just as the front door flew open, her father running in with a panicked expression on his face, Zwei stopping in front of him confused.

“Yang! We need to get out of here! They … “

He never got to finish that sentence as something absurdly fast collided with the entrance hall’s floor and turned her entire rebuilding world into fire and pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first work for this great Fandom so I'm somewhat out of the water here.
> 
> Special Thanks to [leofidus](http://archiveofourown.org/users/leofidus) for helping me revise the chapters ... and preventing even longer sentences ;)
> 
> I started this fic a long time ago, before season 4 even aired. I originally just wanted to write it for myself and a few friends but I eventually figured: why not share it and let you folks tear me to shreds? ;)
> 
> This story will rely on flashbacks quite often. Those are primarily used to explain/clarify things that have already happened. So if you see something that seems confusing or out of the blue, more than often that will be cleared up a bit later. The reason I write this way is that I hate explaining everything before hand and give character reactions away. It's more fun to wonder about it for a while before you'll get an explanation.
> 
> Also there will be mentions of Bumblebee (Blake/Yang) and Splitting Hares (Velvet/Yatsuhashi). There are not tagged because they did not happen at any time prior to the story. In this story, things were heading into those directions before the Fall of Beacon happened. Because of that Blake and Yatsu will play crucial roles for Yang and Velvet respectively, especially in the beginning of the story. 
> 
> Furthermore Yang does have a form of PTSD in this story. However I do believe that PTSD affects every person differently and in Yang's case here it might seem that she is perfectly fine. At least in the first chapters. She isn't though and it will show, though at the start of the story she's quite good at avoiding it... for a while.
> 
> As for the M rating, it is most likely not justified for the first chapters but it will be in the later ones. And I did not want to change it mid story. This way it's clear from the start in which way the story is headed.
> 
>  
> 
> I do appreciate feedback though and if you have thoughts and/or criticism on the story or everything else I might mess up just let me know in the comments. 
> 
> I try to post chapters regulary every week to the best of my abilities, so I'd love for you to stick around and read it.
> 
> Cheers!


	2. Reality Check

**Thursday, 6 a.m.**  
**Four months after.F.B.**

 

 

When Yang came to, she felt strange. Her right side was oddly cold, but her left felt like fire. She tried to push herself up but could not prevent herself from falling over again the second her hand sank in.

_Sank. Snow. Right._

Opening her eyes, she found herself outside, half buried in a pile of snow. Her left side was slightly glowing yellow as her aura was trying to combat whatever caused that burning feeling. Even though the snow explained the cold, she only discovered the reason for the heat when she looked at the house.

Or rather, what remained of it.

Whatever thing hit the Xiao Long Home set everything ablaze. The wooden structure never stood a chance against that amount of fire. Judging by the state of the house, which was only sporting a few burning pillars, charred floorboards and parts of the roof, Yang might have been out for a while. That or that fire was potent enough to incinerate everything Yang held dear in mere seconds. Still, on the ground, Yang’s mind did take a minute to catch back up to what she was seeing, but then the memories hit her. Hard.

“Dad … DAD!” Yang launched herself up, promptly falling over again, before struggling back up and half sprinting, half sliding towards the ruined house. She never made it there.  
The sight of two charred bodies stopped her dead in her tracks. A small charred body beside an equally charred human form and the still glowing destroyed parts of her father’s weapon, still attached to his wrists, gave Yang all the answers she needed before collapsing to the ground sobbing, screaming and muttering her father’s name in agony.

Her mind drew blank; she did not know how long she was kneeling in the snow, her gaze fixated on her dead father and dog. It felt like hours before the surrounding sounds registered in her ears. A loud siren was screeching through the air. Yang had never heard it before, but somehow she knew what it was. After all, Patch still had old alarm systems from the last war.  
In the case of an incoming air strike.  
Absentmindedly Yang’s gaze drifted to the sky, small airships zipping through it. Too little to be transporters.

_Are those atlesian fighters? But why are they here?_

Before she could manage to draw some conclusions, she heard branches crack behind her. Half a dozen atlesian knights marched out of the woods and towards the house. Not able to form cohesive thoughts in any amount of reasonable time Yang was still kneeling as they spotted her, immediately raising their weapons and opening fire.

Wholly frozen in place, Yang barely registered two shots zipping past her head. She did, however, feel the third hitting her straight in the right shoulder, whipping her around and backward, her aura flaring in protest as it stopped most of the harm but less of the force. Two more shots hit her gut and the yellow glowing fizzling out as she hit the ground told her exactly what her auras opinion on not being trained for four months was. Pain and small amounts of blood erupting from the ruined midsection of her hoodie and stomach where the knight’s bullet managed to penetrate her aura. Fortunately, the shots threw her down enough to be out of sight, but Yang could not capitalize on that small stroke of luck. If her combat experience and hunter training were sending her body ideas how to react in this situation, then they were completely ignored by her shocked and confused mind in favor of the time-tested method of curling up into a tiny ball and waiting for the pain to end.

The knights started to slowly move into position to resume firing at the human ball of pity when one of the outer knights was struck by gunfire from the forest, penetrating his chest armor, causing him to explode and topple over his neighbor. The remaining knights turned and opened fire into the woods for about a second before a large, armored person dropped right in the middle of them, ramming his great sword in the ground, the resulting shock wave wiping out the remaining knights with ease. As the man slowly rose and started to walk towards the house and Yang’s curled up form, he tipped his ear and started talking.

“Grinder, Butch, check the perimeter. Hacks cover them. Doc with me.”

After the man spoke three others appeared, all wearing armored, military-style combat attire, with helmets, in dark brown and black colors in addition to assault rifles. Two of them broke off to the sides, eyes towards the forest while a smaller man with red crosses on his shoulders followed the giant towards Yang. Still curled together in a ball as little as possible Yang felt an armored hand rest on her shoulder.

“Yang, are you alright? Did they get through your aura?” Yang managed to look up without moving much. Her lilac eyes found kind looking brown ones. She managed to gaze briefly at the man. He was large indeed, with short brown hair. He wore the same military armor like the other three but bulkier and modified by ample, green shoulder protection on his left shoulder as well as green gauntlets. His large, hilt-less, brown great-sword held behind him in his left hand. He seemed familiar, but Yang could not manage to pinpoint why. Realizing, that he was not getting an answer the giant nodded to the small man who promptly started to examine the blond while continuing his questioning.

“Yang, where is your father? He rushed straight to you, and we got separated.”

After getting uncurled slowly by the one called Doc, Yang managed to turn her head towards the house in between flashlight flashes into her eyes. The man started administering first aid to her stomach and spoke almost robot-like.

“Aura depleted, large bullet graze located at stomach front. Injury unlikely to cause this reaction. Likely additional shock. Possibly related to building status …” He trailed off as he followed Yang’s gaze onto the two charred bodies before immediately running towards them. Kneeling down and reaching for a pulse for a second before he spoke up again. “Human, male. Small animal, likely canine. Both deceased, massive burn trauma. Likely rapidly, indicating high potency fire dust missile. Weapon remnants indicating identity as Taiyang Xiao Long.”

“Darn it!” The giant tapped his ear to speak again. “Shades, it’s Big O. We got Yang, but Tai was KIA.” He was silent for a while, receiving an answer. “Copy that, we can reach the evac in ten.” With that, he turned to Yang. “Yang, can you hear me? Do you know who I am?”

Yang slowly looked the taller man in the eyes, her mind still unable to do anything remotely useful. Yet something was doing its job, and a name popped up.

“Yatsuhashi.” He nodded with a strained smile.

“Good, now listen. We get you out of here. Patch is lost. Atlas fell in way too fast, and we were nowhere close to being ready. We got an evac point not too far from here. Alright?”

As he only received an unfocused gaze, he turned towards Doc, the medic just shaking his head and hooking himself under Yangs left arm, starting to half push half drag her along with him. Allowing him to move her, she still managed to throw a look back at the house and formed a barely clear question.

“What about …”

As Doc shook his head again, Yatsuhashi replied sadly. “I am sorry. There is nothing we can do. They deserve better than this, but we got to go. Now.”

With that he started sprinting towards the left-hand forest, yelling orders to the others to fall in line. Doc did his best to move Yang as fast as possible though they were significantly slower than the rest. As they passed the tree-line a small woman with a large rifle dropped to the ground, following them she shouted towards Yatsuhashi.

“Path is clear to the evac, Big O. But the lines are crumbling fast. Gadget got the last civilian group in, so it’s just us left. Shades and Sly are holding, but paladins are approaching. We need to get there fast!”

Yatsuhashi turned towards Doc and Yang coming after them way too slow before he turned scoping Yang up under his right arm. Ignoring the blond’s pained yelp as his hands came into contact with her stomach.

“Copy Hacks. You heard the lady! Double time!”

As the group picked up the pace, Yang was utterly confused. Thought fragments popped in and out of her mind, nothing making sense to her. She could not process why Yatsuhashi Daishi was here, or who these others were. Soldiers? Vale Militia then. But was Yatsu not in Team CFVY? Were they not her upperclassmen in Beacon? Why are they with the Militia, they are students. She did not come further than most of these thoughts since pictures of Zwei and her father lying dead disrupted everything.

Soon after, they broke through the forest and into a nightmare. Right in front of Yang was a sized airship, likely a military transport. It was sitting behind the outer buildings of a farmhouse, shielded mainly from what was approaching from the other side. A few people Yang recognized as town-folk were already on board. However, on the other side of the farm, all hell had broken loose. Groups of the militia were dug in, using low walls or similar cover all around the landing zone. Firing at a big mass of slowly approaching atlesian knights with half a dozen paladins slowly making their way through the town's ruins towards them. The giant robots barely visible through clouds of smoke and fire streaming from the burning ruins of her hometown.

“’Bout damn time, Big O! Starting to think you found a cute tree to meditate with on your way here. Get your ladies on board; we got to get out! They’re way to PO’ed after Goodwitch took down that whore’s over-compensating flagship!”

Yang looked at the woman yelling. Even though her usual fashionable combat gear was replaced by the same military armor the rest was using, making her look way more bulky with all the extra armor under her ammunition belts, Coco Adel was pretty recognizable. Team CFVY’s leader’s usual sunglasses were gone and replaced by a pair of dark tinted combat glasses but her beret and especially her Gatling gun, currently mowing down knights in a full arc, were a dead give away.

“Sorry about that, Shades! We got delayed by knights, and Yang is out of it. You heard the boss! Go, GO!”

With that Yatsuhashi stopped and waved his team into the airship, Yang still held protectively under his arm. The rest of CFVY and the militia retreated slowly, leapfrogging from cover to cover while firing at the knights. Suddenly another voice cut through the chaos.

“Incoming Fighters! Seven o’clock!”

Yang managed to turn her head towards the low approaching atlesian aircraft while Yatsuhashi started towards the airship. A stream of light blue bullets hailed towards the fighters. Velvet Scarlatina standing on a small wall with a hard-light copy of Coco’s Gatling gun, firing away, her long rabbit ears perked up in attention. She was also wearing the combat armor, no helmet but instead more complex looking combat glasses than Cocos’. Her weapon box behind her lower back emitting a soft, blue glow. Two of the three fighters were already going down, but the third managed to get a missile out before it got shredded. Yang’s eyes widened in fear as she realized the missile was heading straight for her and Yatsuhashi.

“Big O! MOVE!” She heard Hacks’ voice just before Yatsuhashi switched his grip on Yang and ruggedly hurling her towards the airship just before her world was turned into pain and fire for the second time today.

  
When Yang came to herself again, she heard a shrill ringing in her ears while everything else was muffled and seemed far away. She felt blood dripping down her face, reaching up she noticed a gash above her left eye bleeding profoundly, her aura still too low to take care of it. Slowly rising to her feet and looking around she saw Coco still gunning down knights, but she had less back-up than before, suffering the occasional hit, shrugging it off with her aura and continuing her cover fire.

“Yatsu! No! Don’t do this to me! YATSU!” Hearing the desperation in the voice of Velvet through the ringing in her ears, Yang turned towards her. Yatsuhashi lay still on the ground, his armor charred and black. His chest plate apparently removed by Doc who was kneeling over him administering CPR. Velvet was crouched beside Yatsuhasi’s head talking to him fast and full of panic.

“We need to get out of here! Doc, we need to move him!” The speaker was a slender man with dark skin and white pupils. Like the rest, he was wearing the same armor but without the helmet, causing his short, dark orange hair to be on full display. While firing the guns inside his long arm blades towards approaching knights, Fox Alistair knelt beside Velvet to get her to snap out of it.  
  
Someone grabbed Yang’s arm. She looked around and saw one of Yatsuhashi’s group, Grinder or Butch most likely, moving her into the evacuation ship. Slowly Yang let herself be dragged away while other militia ran past her manning the airship, still firing at the knights. Fox, with the help of Doc and two others, was carrying Yatsuhashi towards the transporter with Velvet pushing a quickly reddening bandage above some big, metallic shrapnel stuck out from beside Yatsuhashi’s hip. As soon as everyone was on the transport, Coco finally folded her gun back into its handbag form and ran towards the airship. Moments before reaching it a paladin came into range and fired a missile at her, missing by an inch, the resulting explosion propelling her forward and she crashed into the ship’s metal floor hard, a brown glow washing over her body before flickering out.

“Shade’s in! Get us out of here!”

As the airship started to lift off, most of the militia still firing, Doc still trying CPR on Yatsuhashi, Velvet sobbing openly into Fox’s shoulder, Yang could only stare at her shaking hand and knees. Slowly backing up she sank down the metal wall and curled herself into a ball again, rocking back and forth slowly. No coherent thought was forming in her head; everything seemed like a blur. Neither the burning island passing below them nor a huge, crashed atlesian dreadnought, half buried and pierced through Signal Academy’s tower, seemed to be entirely registered by her. Fighters and modified Bullheads around them were engaged in a deadly struggle. Still, the only thing that she was able to process was the look Coco gave her as they crossed eyes.

Coco, still lying on the floor, bleeding from the head, her combat glasses shattered beside her took a long look at Yatsuhashi before her eyes met with Yang. She did not see any anger or sadness in them, no hidden fury or pity. Those chocolate brown eyes only displayed one emotion.

Disappointment.


	3. Hard Knocks

**Thursday 3 p.m.**  
**Four months after.F.B.**

 

 

The next hours went by like a blur. At least it seemed that way to Yang; everyone else seemed to be in a state of heightened, hardly controlled panic. The flight on the evacuation airship did not take all that long. The place they landed, apparently some military base or vast barracks in downtown Vale City, was unknown to Yang but then again it could have been built only recently for all she knew. She remembered she got carried to some medical facility, where she laid on a stretcher for a while until a nurse got her into a crowded room with cheap beds and curtains for privacy. Sometime later she was re-bandaged and fixed up correctly, or at least what passed as such considering the chaos around her, and cleared to go by a medic. Only then did she slowly start to realize what had happened. 

She lost her Dad and her home. Even Zwei was gone. She was somewhere in Vale with barely anything more than what she was wearing. That included a hoodie which was utterly ruined in the belly area (not even counting the fact that using a hood with her kind of hair was beyond stupid) and her weapon without spare ammo since she completely forgot about her supply bag. She also got her purse with only little Lien, her identification, and her scroll, which as it occurred to her now did not get charged the day before. Hey, at least her coat looked presentable. Silver lining. She had no real clue what was going on outside of Patch, or inside Patch for that matter, not after today, only the little she gathered from stuff she picked up from the townsfolk. She really should have paid more attention. That all should have scared her, it had every right to, even demanded it. But that was not what caused fear to reach a point where she could only stall through the corridors like a mindless husk. She was scared because she felt … nothing. No pain or sadness for losing her father, no anger for once again being useless. She was just … numb. 

_That had to be the shock, right? Yeah, honestly that was it, it will hit me eventually, I’m sure of it. Granted, I tried very hard to remove myself from such emotions in the months after Beacon; I had to, I could not go on when I spent every waking and sleeping second in fear and guilt. But there is no way something like this would not affect me. Surely not! It is the shock, nothing else …_

Yang was abruptly startled out of her thoughts by a loud thump. Looking up, Yang realized that she had no idea where she was but knew what was in front of her within a second.

Coco Adel, a bandage over the right side of her forehead without her glasses and beret, had a fist planted deeply in the wall, a brown shimmer flickering out for the second time this day as her aura tried and ultimately failed to compensate for the impact, eyes puffed red with tears streaming down her cheeks. Velvet Scarlatina was barely visible from under Fox Alistair’s arms wrapped around her head and back. Her rabbit ears sticking out while he pressed her against his chest, barely muffled sobbing and cries came from the faunus. A man in a white hospital gown stained with blood had a hand on Fox’s shoulder, talking lowly to Yang’s former upperclassman. It did not take a genius after all she had witnessed on Patch what had happened and why there were only three members of Team CFVY present.

“Coco … ”

Yang’s voice was low and rough, barely audible but the leader of Team CFVY heard her. As Coco looked at Yang, tears still streaming down her face, she did not say a word; she just waited with the same look she had earlier which had burned itself into Yang’s mind.

“Coco … I … I’m sorry.” Yang was looking down for a few moments. “I … don’t know … what to do.”

When Yang looked up again, Coco was still looking at her silently. After what felt like minutes the fashionista looked back at Fox who was still trying to comfort Velvet, the medic from earlier since gone. Her eyes rested on them for a while before she let out a deep sigh and turned herself to face Yang.

“Follow me.”

With that, she walked past Yang towards a staircase, her heavy boots and armor sending echoing sounds through the hall, though they did not quite manage to muffle Velvet’s sobbing cries. Yang followed suit quietly. She had no idea what Coco was doing, but she figured that the usually emotionless leader could not handle staying in that corridor for much longer. They walked in silence for a few minutes, and Yang took in her surroundings. Every aisle was packed with medics and injured, some of them she recognized from Patch. Cries of pain and agony resounding from every room they passed. Even after they left the building, Yang could still hear their blight, though that might just have been her imagination. 

The outside did indeed look like a small military base, to the point that every inch of it got neatly liberated of snow, almost to a fault one might think. A few bullheads were lined up at a nearby airfield that looked like it used to be a more prominent plaza of sorts. Ugly looking, clearly pre-manufactured buildings followed, creating the camp-like feel universally present in military barracks. Men and women, human and faunus alike, were passing near them in small groups and formations, clearly exercising some drill. Coco led the two of them to something resembling a training ground, people already engaged in hand to hand sparring sessions. Yang also noted that many stopped what they were doing to salute sharply in Coco’s direction.

“Back in Beacon, I remember always meeting you in the gym when you were distressed. You used to say ‘punching things silly takes the edge off.' Care for a little exercise while we talk?”

It was the first Coco said to her since they started walking. Considering her and Coco’s injuries, Yang hesitated for a second before giving a short sound of agreement. Coco promptly began to remove her armor plating and uniform until she was only sporting a plain military tank top along with her combat boots and armored pants. If the cold bothered her, she did not show it. Yang followed Coco’s lead and dropped her coat on a nearby bench, slowly and carefully placing her half of Ember Celica on it. She decided to keep her sorry excuse for a hoodie on, though. Partially to conceal what was left of her right arm at least a little bit. Across from her Coco just finished wrapping tape around her hands. Yang was curious about that, but she had to get something off her chest first before asking the lightly smiling brunette approaching her.

_I have to apologize … if it were not for me, Yatsu wouldn’t have died. He would have been okay …_

“Coco, I just …” she never got to finish that sentence, as Coco’s fist collided with the side of her head with a force that sent her scrambling to the floor and her barely regenerating aura fizzling out of existence. Before she could regain composure, an armored boot crashed into her side, making her lose all the air in her lungs and sending her sliding over the unforgiving winter ground.

“Shut. The Fuck. Up.” Yang was barely on her feet again before Coco sent her right back down with a vicious haymaker to her jaw, busting her lip. She tried to scoot away, but Coco was slowly but relentlessly stalking towards her.

“You disgust me, Xiao Long. Look at yourself! You’re pathetic!” Yang managed to regain somewhat of a combat stance, her training finally deciding to come back from its holiday, settling for a straight left as retaliation. The brunette quickly sidestepped the punch and drilled her left knee into Yang’s stomach, hitting her right in her bandaged wound. Yang started to collapse but was grabbed by her hair and brought face to face with the taller fashionista.

“Four months. For four months the world went straight to fucking hell and what did you do, huh? Crawling up to daddy in self-pity!” Coco’s head crashed into Yang’s in a brutal headbutt that sent blood out of Yang’s most likely broken nose. However, with Coco’s hand still firmly in the blond mane, she was far from done. “We needed you. You and your useless bunch of first years! At least Schnee has a decent excuse, with her being all busy manufacturing bombs to rip us to shreds!”

Being held up by her hair, her body starting to go limp, Yang could not do much to defend herself. And quite frankly she was not even sure if she should. Coco raised her right and started to send her fist into Yang’s face after each sentence, just not caring about the blood dripping from the blond. 

“All we ever heard was how much potential you all had, how talented you all were, with your fancy weapons and semblances. Team RWBY, Team JNPR, the prodigies, already better than most upperclassmen. The pride of the academy. Then, where the fuck, were you when the war started?!

Continuing screaming and pummeling Yang’s face, Coco apparently did not care in the slightest that everyone around them stopped training and started watching, though no-one interfered. Some of the bystanders obviously recognized Yang from the tournament, the woman who assaulted the Haven boy. No-one dared to step up for someone like her, especially against Coco.

“Nikos got herself killed for an already destroyed CCT! Because she had to be a god damned hero instead of calling for some fucking backup! And then that weird shit with the dragon! And I don’t  _CARE_  that Velv insists it’s a Wyvern ‘cause it has not enough fucking legs. And Schnee and your dumb sister were in the damned middle of it! But not a fucking person got a clue what exactly happened! Because Schnee headed home to daddy! And that stupid wanna-be human ran like a coward! You and your sister got sent home! Not like anyone could use the knowledge to fuck up a Grimm dragon nooo …. Useless grunts like us can die stupid, aye?”

She was right. Coco was right, and Yang knew it. Deep down she somehow always knew, but perhaps she was too afraid to admit it to herself.

_She has every right to be angry at me. I deserve this, all of it. That’s what I get for being useless, I guess. Serves me right._

Yang offered no more resistance as she tried to close her eyes to accept the beating Coco was dishing out. But she even failed to do that. It fitted.

“Your sister and the sorry rest of JNPR even had the guts to come and ask for help to run to Haven but didn’t have the courtesy of telling what was so damn more important than defending their fucking home! Or half their home depending on whatever backwater slum that hyperactive hammer bitch and that ninja fella came from. And you know what the most fucked up part is? I liked the lot of you; I actually thought you and your team could make a difference! A beacon of hope amongst scum like Team CRDL. Oh, how wrong I was!”

Coco flung Yang around swiftly and smashed her face first into a lamp post, cracking some bones in the process, before starting to rain fists in the blonde’s back. 

“Nooo, instead I had to stand in the pouring rain on a cemetery. Getting soaked to the bone holding up some stupid ass flag while listening to Velvet giving a heartfelt speech through her tears about CRDL sacrificing themselves with freaking honor and pride, buying time against Atlas Black Ops to defend a faunus convoy from Menagerie and getting mauled for it, literally. CRDL dying for faunus, while you lot were on  _VACATION_!”

Yang did barely hear Coco through the ringing in her ears caused by all the pain and the punches. She was hurting all over and could not even lift a finger if she wanted to. Her semblance lay dormant as it did for months now. But even if she could she would not want to use it. She just wanted to endure all of this and maybe die in peace. Then perhaps she could finally manage to do something right. 

“I’ve never seen Velvet cry that much until today!” The punches stopped as Coco spun her around, grabbing her by the throat, smashing her back against the lamp post. “Today. That fucked up mess. As if it was not hard enough to get the civilians out against those metal buckets nooo, our damned assigned hunter jumped the airship the second we were on Patch to get his daughter, and then get himself fucking killed! And Yatsu … Yatsu …” Coco trailed off. As the grip on Yang’s throat weakened, the blond saw tears starting to dripping from Coco’s eyes. The brunette’s hands slightly trembling.  

“’We have to help him, Coco. He can’t do it alone. It’s Yang; we need to get her.’ Even after all that shit, you cunts pulled, he still believed in you. Still believed enough to throw you out of the way and get shredded by a fucking missile! And now look at you. You’re worthless. When I saw you at that evac, frozen in fear, unable to move, I knew that he died in vain, just like your dad. You’re a worthless shit, Xiao Long, so don’t you dare ask me for help again. Now get the fuck out of my barracks!”

With that, Yang felt one last crushing blow connect with her face. Her back exploded with pain as the punch sent her right through the lamp post, causing her to collide with the wall of a building before falling face first to the ground. Her body refusing all attempts at a motion for the time being. 

With a crowd of Militia still watching in silence, Coco began unwrapping her hands, throwing the blood-soaked tape in a bin before carefully putting her combat gear back on. She was just about to walk away as she heard a low voice.

“C-Coco …”

As Coco whipped around to stare at her, Yang just managed to push herself up on one knee. Her vision blurry, eyes almost swollen shut, blood was streaming down her face. She felt dizzy and sick, but somehow she managed to force herself up and into a courteous bow without falling over.

“Th … thank you for the spar. I … learned a lot … and would like to … to repeat it sometime … soon … ish.”

An eerie silence fell over the court; it would be likely that one could hear a pin drop if such carelessness would ever be allowed in a military barracks. All eyes were on Coco now who was staring in disbelief at a still bowed, though slowly starting to waver like a sailor, woman, who just delivered common thanks after sparring. After Coco just laid a so absolutely not spar-like beating on her with every intention of causing pain. It felt like time had stopped for a few seconds before Coco returned the bow and the courtesy.

“It was my pleasure. Do ask for another round whenever you please.”

As both women rose from their bow, Yang felt her knees buckle in, dropping to one she started to pant heavily. Coco looked at her, contemplating for a while before turning to a group of Militia to her right.

“Clear her a place in the barracks, see that she gets something to eat and a fresh change of clothes. Tell Doc to have a look at her. Oh, and don’t you dare to forget her cloak and weapon on the bench.”

“Yes, Colonel.”

As the soldiers saluted and rushed to complete their orders, Coco looked at the panting Yang for a while until the militia moved her away. She still stood there a little while after that until everyone around her went back to their business before she shook her head and turned on her heels. 


	4. What You Are

                                                **Friday 10 a.m.**

**Four months after.F.B.**

 

When Yang woke the next day, she could barely move. Every fiber of her upper body seemed to be consisting of pain, especially the part that was apparently missing. She slowly raised her left hand to touch her eyes. Detecting a less than expected amount of swollen tissue, she dared to open her eyes. Her vision took a while to sharpen, but once it did, she tried to accustom herself with her surroundings. She was lying in a simple, metallic bed with plain, white sheets, all around her were similar beds and only the occasional personified item. Currently, she was all alone in the building. She foggily remembered a group of soldiers getting her here, even bringing her food and some spare clothes after the man named Doc if she remembered correctly, arrived to patch her up. Military casual wear, of course, cut merely, different shades of green, shirt, sweater, pants, some underwear. Currently, those were sitting folded neatly at the top of a small table beside her bed. Most of her clothes and her weapon were right beside them, along with a couple of towels and the necessities to wash. If the crusts of dried blood she could peel off her face were anything to go by, that was as good an idea as any.

Flinging the sheets to her side, she carefully moved herself up into a sitting position. After a mild case of dizziness had washed over her, she left the bed, grabbed some clothes and washing items then moved towards the bright white back of the room, expecting the bathrooms to be there. Her assumption was partially correct; she should have anticipated a military barracks to have only one big, shared bathroom. After she made her way to a big mirror with several sinks, she stopped to study her reflection.

Coco did a number on her. At least four digits. In the upper half of the spectrum.

Her face looked like she had an intimate relationship with the business end of a battering ram, which one could argue was a fitting comparison for Coco’s fist. Her nose looked like it got vaguely repositioned and then fixated with bandages. The bridge of it was swollen and red, much like the flesh around her eyes, which however decided to start imitating a peacock in heat. She noticed several patched up cuts on her forehead and cheekbones. After seeing the fresh stitches under the medical strips, she decided to leave them for the time being. Her lips were also busted open in several places, and her jaw was the home of the rest of the peacock flock. After carefully touching her face, and subsequently flinching from sudden pain, she knew that her aura had at least a few cracked bones to fix. She slipped out of the shirt she had worn overnight and started to move around to inspect the rest of the damage. Her upper body sported the same bruises her face had. Yang sighed deeply.

_I’ve had worse, but not by much. Guess those pills that Doc guy gave me were not only painkillers. Aura stims, most likely. Otherwise, I would look even worse. Never really liked those, but I should be glad for getting them. I’m useless enough as it is, even when I am healthy._

Losing the rest of her clothes Yang began the tedious task of cleaning herself while being one-handed. That was a pain before, but now it was worse, considering the fact she could barely turn or bend down without suffering. After an extended period, and cleaning up as much as possible, she put on the fresh set of clothes. After several failed attempts with her hairpins, her hair resembled somewhat of a ponytail, though a slightly ugly one. Returning to her bed while fidgeting with the empty sleeve of her new sweater she suddenly stopped, visibly tensing at the sight of the woman sitting on the bunk opposite of hers.

“I should have expected a reaction like this after yesterday. I came to apologize.” Coco raised a plate of breakfast. “Here, a peace offering.”

Yang could see scrambled eggs and bacon with toast and, naturally, coffee. She slowly approached and sat on her bed a slight groan of pain escaping her. “Urgh … thanks.”

Both women sat there for a while in silence before Coco spoke up. “Listen … I should not have lashed out at you like that. You’ve been through a lot of shit, especially after … after Patch. You came to me, lost and asking for help, and I used you to vent my frustrations. I had no right to do that.”

“You had every right to do that.” Yang’s voice was weak and low as she looked at the ground. “You didn’t say anything I hadn’t told myself in the past. And you’re right; I am useless. Only thing I was good for was pummeling some stray Grimm for a town that is no longer there. And Yatsu …”

“Yatsu made a choice. The same one anyone of us would have made for anybody. One you would have made too. We’re huntresses, ‘tis what we do.” Coco interrupted her before she could continue.

“But that’s the thing. I am not a huntress. Not anymore.” Yang weakly replied before slowly reaching for the coffee Coco had provided her. Coco remained silent for a while, watching Yang drinking her coffee before she answered.

“Why?”

Yang sat her mug down and looked at Coco confused. The fashionista had her head tilted slightly to the side, her short brown hair and the single copper lock under her beret swaying to the side, apparently waiting for a response.

“What do you mean why? I lost my dominant arm, Coco. Plus I am a fist fighter, FIST fighter. I couldn’t use half my weapon even if I’d still have it!”

Yang noticed that Coco did not flinch from that small outburst. Instead, the older girl just watched her until she calmed down somewhat. After letting out a sigh, she saw Coco reaching for the sunglasses resting on the brunette's nose, removing and slowly folding them together before sliding them onto the collar of the uniform CFVY’s leader was wearing today instead of armor. Chocolate brown eyes were fixating on her lilac ones.

“Yang, do you know where you are?” Yang hesitated after that. She did not know exactly where she was, but something told her that it was not what Coco meant.

“Judging by all the military stuff, I’d say at the Vale Militia.”

“Close enough. They haven’t called themselves a militia since the war started. It’s an army now. Militia and hunters, all together.”

“So you and your team are part of that army.”

Coco nodded. “Yeah. I’m pretty far up the chain these days. You’re in the downtown garrison, the barracks of my battalion, to be precise.”

Yang raised an eyebrow at that.

“Wait … yours? As in, you are in charge? How are you in charge? No offense, but you were only a student like me.”

Coco closed her eyes for a second, her expression hardened. Yang involuntarily had to gulp as the could not help but feel the atmosphere of the conversation change.

“We’re not students anymore, Yang. We aren’t allowed to be. We have to be hunters; this is a war. And for why I am in charge … Well, I am just the highest rank around here that has not died yet. Soldiers need orders, or everything falls apart. So you either step up, or you die. We were nowhere ready to be an actual army when Atlas attacked. The casualties were frightening … And that was BEFORE Patch.”

Yang fell silent after that until Coco spoke again.

“I tell you what. I tell you what I think. The arm is not the reason you are like this.”

“You calling me a liar, Coco?”

“Matter of fact, I do. Atlas reached out to all injured students after the tournament, offered medical care, treatment, the whole thing. Their way of saying ‘sorry you had to drink up our piss of a mess,' I guess. You could have gotten a military grade prosthetic arm there. And even if they hadn’t offered, your dad and uncle are famous. They must have connections, AND your former teammate is a Schnee. If you had wanted, you could have had your arm replaced before the war. But you haven’t. That means there’s something else. And after that whole agreeing with me about you being useless I wager it’s not about missing an arm but how or why you lost it.”

Yang could feel Coco’s chocolate brown eyes tearing into her. She tried to withstand that stare but eventually sighed and hung her head.

“Am I so easy to read?”

Yang’s head came up to meet Coco's eyes as she felt a hand being placed gently on her shoulder.

“Yang, we know each other since Signal. Honestly, taking into consideration all the times we tore the gym apart while sparring, I should virtually be able to read your mind. You really thought I would buy that from the girl who literally tried to burst through a wall of steel? And I know, it dared to be in your way and going around was too much of a bother, but seriously? Listen, you don’t need to tell me what happened to you at Beacon and how much it fucked with you. That is something you need to want to overcome yourself, not have someone pry it from you. What I want you to do is look around you. Look who is here to defend your home.”

Coco pointed at a bed two rows behind them.

“That one belongs to Butch. Wanna know why he’s called that? He was a butcher in Vale, never held a gun before, much less fired one. Over there is Mouser’s, a street rat, literally, clever, good with knives and dodging bar fights, not so much against Atlas metal buckets. Next to him is Bonker’s, right from Vale hospital’s mental care ward. They said they’ve never seen him as clear speaking as the day he told them he’d leave and enroll.”

Coco looked like she was about to go on but Yang felt too confused just to listen. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because none of them were soldiers. We got a few police officers, but that’s it. Most didn’t even have their aura unlocked if theirs is even worth mentioning. We try to make them into soldiers but they need time and experience, and both of that they don’t have. And it’s not like WE have much of that ourselves. Just so happens that we were at least partially trained in a military-like way. Which makes us somewhat better suited for officers … or something along those lines of reasoning. We need you, Yang. Yatsu chose to believe in you, and I will do the same. I did not see it on Patch or in the hospital yesterday, but I sure as hell saw it after our fight. Missing arm or not, you trained as a huntress. Help me keep these kids alive, and I promise we will help you to your feet again.”

After that Coco stood and took a step towards her. She gently reached for the empty sleeve of Yang’s sweater and started to tie a knot in it. “And you are wrong about another thing. You ARE a huntress. Not because of some school, a piece of paper or training, but for what you did. You took that beating I dished out to you because you owned up to it. And then you got back up and did the proper courtesies. That’s hunter’s code, Yang. That’s what you are. Don’t you deny it.”

Having finished the knot, Coco showed a brief smile before leaving Yang alone with her thoughts, exiting the barracks. After a while Yang’s eyes fell on her single gauntlet, staring at it for a long time.

_I have nowhere to go. Coco is offering me a way to get back up, get back out there … or get myself killed, I guess, it’s a war after all. It’s stupidly dangerous, still so was being a huntress. At least this way I won’t be facing it alone._

She raised her hand to her eyes, staring at it before making a fist.

_Alone, huh. That’s what it’s coming down to, isn’t it? Dad’s gone; my team’s gone, I’m all alone. I’d have died alone if it hadn’t been for these guys …_

With a heavy sigh, Yang reached for the breakfast Coco brought her. She’d have to think about this, but not on an empty stomach. Besides, it would be a huge waste not to eat it after Coco went through all the trouble to get it for her.

_Right, who am I kidding? She probably got people for that now. She’s in charge after all._


	5. Getting Back Up

**Friday 1 p.m.**  
**Four months after.F.B.**

 

“So …. Let me get this straight, Shades. You had me handling the morning drill alone because you took about two hours to prepare breakfast for a girl who should, for all intents and purposes, only be able to eat through a straw after what you did to her?”

Coco growled loudly at the rat faunus next to her. Both of them were standing next to each other at the border of the barracks’ training ground.

“In my defense, I barely had an opportunity to hone my cooking skills between academy cafeterias and Gadget’s mean pancakes. ‘Sides … I lashed out wrongly; she deserved the effort, Mouser.”

The faunus hummed in agreement. Barely reaching Coco’s chest in height and sporting a skinny figure Mouser did not look like a soldier. Gray fur was covering the pair of extra ears that were sticking out from grayish hair, and with a face that bared a striking resemblance to the animal he got his traits from, Mouser looked more like a shady street dealer than a fighter. And ironically that was precisely what he was doing before he signed up for the military.

“Think she’ll show up?”

“She will.” Coco nodded with purpose, “I did not intend to, but that beating she took from me might have done some good after all.”

“If you say so, Colonel.”

Both officers returned their attention to the drill happening in the court below. Hand-to-hand combat was on schedule, and the whole battalion was at the ready. That is only the uninjured parts, and no Velvet and Fox, which means less than half of the soldiers. Most of her guys and gals just had minor injuries. Some bullet wounds, broken body parts. Could have been worse if Patch had housed more than a handful of Grimm and their battalion would not have gotten relegated to evacuating civilians. Nothing that time and aura would not fix. Velvet and Fox, however, were a different matter altogether.  
As Coco watched the bulky soldier named Butch getting thrown to the ground repeatedly by Hacks, the female, much smaller sniper of the bunch, she let out an involuntary sigh. Velvet needed time too, but not because of an injury, well not a physical one at least. Yatsuhashi’s death weighed heavy on her and Coco had asked Fox to keep an eye on her or whatever the equivalent of that saying was for blind men.

“Either way, the reports you requested arrived while you were … culinarily artistic.” Mouser held a folder towards Coco, which she took after she glared at him for a few seconds and flipped open.

“This is much less than I had hoped for.” Coco declared after browsing through the small stack of papers inside.

“They said they’ll need more time to gather more information. It’s all … well gone to shit, one could say.” Mouser finished the short explanation as Coco nodded knowingly and closed the folder up, pinning it under her arm. They stood idly by for a while, looking professional and concentrated for everyone chancing a glance at them.  
  
“So how come the rest of us never got any of those apparently killer pancakes?”

“You’re not high enough up on the food chain. I only ever got them when Gadget was not so subtly trying to bribe her way out of something. You know, for when her usual puppy dog eyes already failed.”

“I AM her superior, though. I AM a Major. So the chain of command clearly states I am bribe worthy.”

“Yeah, but you ALWAYS give in to the puppy eyes …”

“Damn … you’re right.” Mouser looked briefly to his right before returning his attention to Coco again. “Right indeed. Here she comes. You need anything else, Colonel?”

Coco turned her head to look at Mousers head, spotting Yang approaching the pair slowly. A small smile tug on her face.

“Supervise the training for me, will ya?”

“So … you mean, like, what I am already doing the entire morning?”

“You got it.”

“Figures. Wait … shouldn’t you try to bribe me or something to get out of this, you know like Gadget?”

“Don’t have to.” Coco casually flips a finger towards the insignia on her uniform. “Food chain, remember Major?”

Mouser just rolled his eyes before saluting sharply and leaving Coco alone. It felt good to have banter like this. Not so long ago she was one of the buddies, talking and teasing like that all the time. But that has changed since she took command. Not because the battalion wanted it that way, she did. One can not be buddies and in control. It did not work like that. Mouser was the only one, apart from her team, to whom she could talk like this and that was based purely on rank.

Yang still had a bit of ground to cover, so Coco flipped open the folder once again. Inside were lists of injuries, lost equipment, and ammo stocks … nothing she needed to know right now. No tactical overview, no new orders, no updates to the situation of yesterday, nothing. _Great_. Before she could dive further into the insufferable abyss known as military intelligence, she spotted a flash of yellow coming up the hill out of the corner of her eye.

“I am surprised, Xiao Long, this was fast. I figured you would go and talk to the townsfolk or something like that before making a decision.”

Hand in her sweater Yang stepped up to Coco, positioning herself next to the brunette, looking down to the training soldiers.

“I am going to do that actually. But there are some questions I need to have answered before that.”

Coco turned to Yang, closing her folder.

“What do you wanna know?”

“Do I have to cut my hair?”

Coco blinked twice in rapid succession. Chocolate brown eyes behind sunglasses zooming in on the blond, trying to find any sign of a joke. Not finding one she just chuckled.

“You know, I did miss you, Yang. It’s so like you that THAT is the first thing you ask before deciding to join the army. And no, you don’t have to. Most of the girls do it out of convenience since picking dirt and branches out of the hair sucks, but that is up to you. ‘Sides isn’t your semblance linked with it? So you wouldn’t have to anyway.”

Yang nodded slowly.

“Yeah … about that. It’s not really tied to my semblance. Well, it is but that’s just about visual effects or something. It works the same with short hair. Not that it matters. I can’t use my semblance anymore.”

Coco raised a brow at that. “Come again?”

“It doesn’t work anymore, I guess.” Yang gave her a weak shrug. “I tried activating it in the last month but I can’t. Doesn’t matter how much I get hit, I can’t unleash that. I assume I shut down too much emotionally to get the spark going to ignite it. Couldn’t get any sleep otherwise. So no emotions, that means no rage, hence no burning hair. Thought you should know that, with me being already limited as it is.”

“Hmmm … well, guess we figure that out along the way then. What else?”

“I don’t see Velvet and Fox out there. How are they holding up? How are YOU holding up?”

“I … manage. I don’t have to tell you of all people how my initial reaction went. But I’m over that now. ‘Sides I got to. I’m in charge, remember? Velvet took it hard, though.” Coco looked back to Yang, hoping that her sunglasses would hide the conflict showing on her face but she seriously doubted it. “He was her partner, but we all knew it was more than that. They were close, really close, but not close enough if that makes sense. So it is hard for her, knowing she didn’t say what she wanted to say … at least not before it was too late. Fox is with her. I wanted too but …”

“You’re in charge.” Yang offered quietly.

“Yeah. That.” Coco was silent for a while before re-adjusting her sunglasses. “Anything else?”

“Well … so what exactly would you want me to do here?”

“I don’t know.”

“What?” Yang snapped her head around towards Coco, staring in disbelief.

“I don’t know, yet. Huntress mentality and code may be important, but you were right about one thing. You did lose your arm. I need to see where you’re at when your head is in the game. You already said you couldn't use your semblance anymore. Between that and your arm, your old style is kinda useless. So you’ll have to adapt. Then I’ll see where I can put you, combat wise. A brawler is not all you are, though. Even if you’re struggling right know you are still a trained huntress. Knowledge, experience, instincts … that can be worth more to these guys than your combat prowess alone. Things may seem mundane to you, but for some of the guys, it could mean all of the difference. So if you can share that, it’ll be enough. It’s basically what all the hunters and former students do when they get assigned to a battalion. Trying to teach whatever they know, every little bit helps guys who know practically nothing about combat. ”

“Sounds logical for some reason.” Yang fell silent after that, staring into the distance.  
  
The both of them stood silent for a while before Coco sighed loudly.

“You know … stalling for time won’t make asking the real questions any easier, Yang.”

This time it was Yang’s turn to sigh.

“And you say I am not obvious … alright. Here it goes. What the FUCK is even going on?”

Coco could not help herself but chuckle at that.

“It does feel appropriate to phrase it like that, doesn’t it? Well … I think I spare you the entire process of who fucked what up or who is to blame for which crap. ‘Cause the short answer to that is ‘who the fuck even knows at this point’? This is all a colossal cluster fuck between Atlas, Vale and the White Fang. We don’t know much of what went really down in Atlas when Vale citizens started to rain justice down on the northern folk, but we do know that they managed to kill several essential Atlesians including one Jacques Schnee and his youngest son. We also know that it should be really impossible for an angry mob to breach the Schnee manor or Atlas bases for that matter, so General Goodwitch is convinced that the White Fang had something to do with it. Not that it matters since Atlas thinks it was us.”

Yang had turned towards Coco sometime during the explanation and stared at her with wide eyes.

“Hold on a second. They killed Weiss’ dad?”

“We. We killed him. Might as well get used to the sound of that ‘cause everybody believes it anyway. So yes. And before you ask, no your former teammate did not get killed. THAT we know for certain.” Coco managed to conceal her anger, barely. “Also, the Schnee Dust Company now works exclusively for the Atlas military which is a big ass problem in its own right. So because of those killings and the global dust shortage tensions were running high as it was. With Beacon gone and the hunters required to keep the peace, Vale could not keep its handful of independent dust mines running. Well, we maybe could have under normal circumstances, but that is where the White Fang came in. Besides the obvious lack of dust storages thanks to them stealing everything before the Fall, they also kept attacking mines, mining convoys or simple lured Grimm in. Long story short, we have no dust. No dust is a problem for a kingdom without an academy and breached defenses, so Goodwitch tried to get dust from somewhere else. Now, Atlas and the SDC were not giving anything but not just to us, Mistral and Vaccuo were left out too, so they had to keep their own stockpiles. Which only left Menagerie. See, the SDC wasn’t selling to the Faunus anyway, so they had to come up with their own mines. Stuff’s not as good as SDC dust mind you, but it’s still way better than nothing so after weeks of back and forth they agreed to send us a big shipment. Paid up front, coming in overseas and to a shipping port in the east to get distributed from there through the mainlands of Vale. Under heavy protection from yours truly and her battalion. You still following me?”

Coco could practically see the gears turning in Yang's head after getting way too much information at once, but the blond woman merely nodded and waited for her to continue.

“However, the timing of the shipment was awful. We just managed to take part of Beacon’s old grounds back, and THAT came with a big prize. The Grimm had gathered around that dragon-wyvern thing like flies, and they were not leaving anytime soon. Either way, it had to be done, and a lot of good people didn’t make it, including our battalion’s assigned hunters. But others had it worse, and we were the only battalion available and of sizeable strength. The rest were busy keeping the peace, chasing the White Fang, off to individual assignments or merely nursing their wounds.  
So we end up escorting that shipment, and we got ambushed. Things went wicked really fast and before we know it Peach, who was in command at the time, and most Team CRDL died defending the rear of the faunus convoy, buying us time to get the shipment away. In the end, Cardin, that bastard, somehow managed to cause a landslide separating the convoy from the attackers, sealing the narrow valley we were going through, so we couldn’t be followed. He effectively buried himself and most of the attackers. Tsk, if you told me months ago that I would work with CRDL, I’d shot myself … now I would break somebody for talking trash about those four.  
However here comes the tricky part. We all thought the attackers were White Fang. They surely dressed the part and acted like it with all the cursing and ‘death to humanity’ screams. But when we had people reopen that path into the valley they did find the corpses of the attackers alright, but those were not faunus. They were Atlas specialists. So you can see, that sent alarm bells ringing everywhere and we’re all gearing up for a massive attack. Setting up surveillance in the north and at Vytal, figuring if they start an invasion it had to be from there right? It was the shortest distance, better reinforcement routes.  
But they didn’t attack from there. They flew all the way around and struck Patch. They hit a civilian island without any real military structures besides Signal Academy just because it was close to Vale. And they got it alright. We were nowhere near close enough to really stop them. But we also knew that if they got that kind of a bridgehead, with enough military to secure their support routes, it would be over before it started. So Goodwitch decided to throw everything we had at them to stop that from happening. My battalion given our recent losses were in charge of evacuating, that was why we had your Dad around since he knew the island and could tell us how to get people out the fastest, but everyone else was to attack. And that they did and now we’re here.”

Coco noticed that Yang had grown eerily silent throughout her little speech. She just stood there and listened. But since Coco made no effort to go further it was Yangs turn to speak up again.

“And it did work, right? I mean, you stopped them, right?”

Coco briefly looked down at the folder in her hands, aware of its contents or better lack thereof.

“I … don’t know. I requested an update, but so far we see nothing new. What we do know from early estimations is that we lost almost three-thirds of our troops. Most of them while taking on the Atlesian fleet. And in the end, we failed to stop them from conquering the island. Now that sounds bad, but the reality looks entirely different. Atlas made a bold move that was supposed to end this war in a quick sweep. Reaching Patch required a long and dangerous path over that dust-forsaken north-western continent. Now for that to work and to successfully sustain their support routes, they must have had to either establish outposts along the way or continuously guard their transports with warships. Since no-one in centuries was able to settle on that pile of shit for more than a few days before getting mauled by the extremely aggressive Grimm population there, the latter seems to be their way to go. Therefore Goodwitch ordered to take down their airships at all costs.  
As it stands now, we managed to shoot down everything they had in the air but lost the ground battle. Between that and what they lost at Beacon, there is not much left in Atlas’ Air Force. So effectively they now have a massively fortified bridgehead with a standing garrison, that we can not defeat in open combat, on an island with more than enough natural resources and agriculture to keep their soldiers alive indefinitely. And I don’t have to tell you how much their robots eat. On the flipside, however, they now have no way to reinforce that position anytime soon.”

“So … it’s a stalemate?”

“Precisely.”

“And … what do we do about that?”

“I have no idea, ‘sides that is not up to me. The only thing I need is orders. In the meantime, I intend to train these folks and patch us up as good as I can so we’ll be ready when the big folks come up with an idea.”

Yang fell silently again. Coco looked at the brawler over her shades. Coco figured she would find any reaction in Yang’s face but she couldn’t.

“During our … spar, you vented about my team and JNPR. What do you know about them? I mean what happened to them after Beacon? I … was out of the loop, I guess.”

“Well … I don’t know much. Your sister and the rest of JNPR found us way before all this shit went down. They didn’t tell us much, just that they wanted to go to Haven and asked for information about the way: maps, known Grimm activities and towns, stuff like that. We couldn’t tell them much, and then they were off again. Haven’t heard from them since.”

Coco hesitated after that. Talking about those four was comfortable, the next two on the other hand … Coco had a feeling that she needed to be careful how to phrase her statements from here. She feared that she could not reveal too much without breaking Yangs fragile state of mind.

“I did tell you that the SDC is working for the military now. With their former head dead it should be Weiss that runs the place but … well, it’s hard to say, with the war and all. Information is hard to come by. And Blake …”

“I don’t want to hear about Blake.”

Coco raised an eyebrow at that. Usually, she would take offense to being so rudely interrupted, but the way Yang said that peaked the older girls attention. Yang kept watching the soldiers below, no emotion in that statement, none at all. Blake was apparently a sour topic for the brawler, that much was clear. Whatever happened to Yang at Beacon it had to have something to do with Blake, Coco was sure of it. However, now was most likely not the time to press matters.

“Right. Anything else you want to ask about?”  
  
“I dunno. Maybe later. It’s getting late, and I wanted to check in the hospital, see if some of the townsfolk I know made it out. Think more about the offer you made, if that’s alright?”

“Sure thing, Yang. Just make sure you’ll be back in the ‘racks before curfew at 2000. You know Goodwitch and her love for that. The military didn’t make that become anything less.”

“Alright. And Coco … thanks. For all of this. Giving me a chance I mean. I appreciate it.”

“Don’t go all sentimental on me, Xiao Long. I’m military now, can’t get my image stained.”

Yang attempted a weak chuckle at that before waving briefly towards Coco while walking towards the hospital. Coco’s gaze lingered a while longer on the blond brawler. While she was glad she did not have to go into much more detail about Schnee, Yang’s reaction to the mention of Belladonna was concerning.

_Oh well. No-one ever said running a battalion was easy. Wait, scratch that. Fox did say that. But then again, when is that guy ever right about anything? Guess I got to figure out a way to deal with that Belladonna problem if we reach that bridge. Oh, who am I kidding? When we reach that bridge. As if that’ll be the one thing that isn’t fucked around here._

While shaking her head, she returned her attention towards the training soldiers before immediately facepalming at the sight of Butch trying, and calling out, a supposedly martial artsy move on Hacks. He learned the hard way why moves with names should stay in video games.


	6. Crossroads

**Friday 5 p.m.**  
**Four months after.F.B.**

 

It is said that sometimes one's mind can shut down so much that one will lose complete track of time. Too distracted by everything to be able to form a coherent thought. Right now Yang was looking like a case study on that subject. She had no idea how long she was standing in front of a projection screen with lists of names, but she sure as dust did not manage to read a single one of them. It was getting dark outside, and the blonde was still in the entrance hallway of the hospital, her attempt to talk with the townsfolk halted as Yang found a console which listed the names of people lost at Patch. There were lists for missing people too, but Yang was also frozen up by even the prospect of seeing a name she recognized among the dead to start reading them.

“Found someone you knew, I wager.”

It took Yang a moment to register Fox standing right next to her. He was barely a foot away, white eyes adjusted in the same direction Yang was looking.

“Heard about your dad. My condolences that can’t be easy.”

Yang only managed a weak nod, oblivious to Fox not being able to see the gesture.

“Listen, those lists … they’re not final. Not by a long shot. It’s just what Shades was able to scrape together from the people here. There were other transports and battalions getting people out. So some of the missing folks might have made it out.”

Silence fell between the two of them. It was obvious that Fox was not a great talker in such matters and so he just stood there, offering to listen if he was needed.

“Shades … I heard that name before in Patch. Who is he?”

Fox's head turned around for a second before he answered.

“Ah, of course. You wouldn’t know. Actually, Shade’s a she. It’s Coco's name these days.”

“What, like a code sign?”

“No … it’s something different.”

Fox turned his head towards the screen again, but Yang could tell that if he could have been able to see he would look right through it.

“After Beacon … after things started to go to shit … we all knew picking up arms against people instead of Grimm, going to war … that would change us. You couldn’t be yourself when pointing a gun at a human or faunus. You shouldn’t be yourself. So … we stopped being ourselves. We gathered everything we were, everything we wanted to be someday, we grabbed it and buried it deep inside of us, hoping that we could dig it up again after we’re done with all of this. None of us have been ourselves for a long time. Sometimes … sometimes it comes through again, but those moments are scarce. You got a little taste of the old Coco the other day, or so I heard. The lists here are another example of that.”

Yang looked at Fox curiously.

“How do you mean?”

“After … venting yesterday, Shades came in and spoke to everyone we got out of Patch. She visited every single patient, talked with them, wrote down what they knew about others, went back to tell other patients when she got new information about their loved ones. She spent the whole night here. Said it was her job as commanding officer. It really wasn’t though. She always was like this, taking responsibility for everyone in the team and under her protection. Even when a recruit died or got hurt, she took her time to tell his folks personally. It’s one of the last remnants of the old Coco. It will break her if this goes on.”

Fox looked sad and dark after that and Yang was surprised by the sudden shift in tone. Fox did not seem to be really okay with what he just told her, but Yang figured now was not the time to press.

“So how are you holding up, Fox? Yatsu …”

Fox didn’t let her finish the sentence. “I’m fine, we all knew a day like this might come. We signed up as hunters, none of us expected to live a long life. But I take solace in the fact that he died like he always wanted, protecting others. Gadget’s got it rough though. That’s Velvet by the way. It will take a while to get her back on her feet. If she’ll even get back up, not sure. I am on my way back to her, keeping her company. Guess you could call that a way of coping. Unlike Shades, I can’t bury myself in work to keep me from mourning. So what about you? Yesterday you looked lost, and I can’t imagine Shades ripping you a new one helped much in figuring out what to do.”

“Actually … she offered me to stay here. Enlist, getting back on my feet. Said I could do a lot of good for the soldiers even if I were not to fight.”

Fox turned to her, nodding. “She’s not wrong. She almost never is with things like that. You are trained, and you know better than most of us what it is like on each side of the spectrum. You're taking the offer?”

Yang dropped her gaze to the ground. “I … don’t know. I was just starting to get my confidence back, and I am a shadow of what I was. I am not sure I can overcome everything … plus the military is quite the opposite of what I wanted to do with my life. I always went with the flow, go on adventures, live the life but now … what good is all of that if … if … when you’re all alone.”

Fox rested his hand on her shoulder and drew a bit closer, his tone convincing. “I can’t decide for you, but I can guarantee you one thing: around here, you’re never alone. And where the not believing in yourself is concerned: I wasn’t sure if I could continue to be a hunter after I lost my sight, Gadget … Velvet at the time I guess … was afraid of her own shadow and would have stayed the entire initiation at Beacon curled up on a tree if it would have been up to her, and Yatsu flat out refused to spar for months in fear of hurting someone. That all didn’t matter. Coco said we could do it, so we did it. Worked so far, so I guess she knows what she’s doing. She said you’ll do it, so you’ll do it. Easy as that.”

He offered her a small smile and then turned to walk into the hospital. Yang looked at him for a moment before returning the smile.

“Fox … thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it. But Yang, one thing,” he looked over his shoulder for a second, “it’s Sly. Fox is long gone.”

  
With that, he turned around a corner and left Yang alone again with her thoughts. She was feeling better about the idea of joining during the talk with Fox, or Sly for that matter, but with the last sentence, her doubts were coming back again.

_He made it sound like they lost themselves because of the war. At least for now, I guess. Buried what they were, what does that even mean? I don’t know if I can do that. Give up everything that I am, what I have._

Yang turned towards the console and pushed a few buttons. The list of the confirmed deceased on Patch showed up. It was not as long as the missing person list, but it was still way too long. Her father was on the list, of course, but there were several other names she recognized as well, among them Miss Gramforth.

_Then again … what do I have left to give up?_

Yang raised her stump and looked at it for a while, before making a fist with her left hand and leaving the hospital. She made her decision. 


	7. Waltz For The Moon

**Friday 6 a.m.**  
**One month before.F.B.**  

 

The grass still wet with morning dew, leafs and branches moving in a fresh breeze, the first light of the sun painting the forest with a mysterious and beautiful veil. A morning as perfect as Velvet could hope. Not that she had any mind to enjoy it at the time.

A low grunt behind her telegraphed furred paws swiping at her back, giving her just enough time to dodge the Beowolf’s attack. Quick on her feet, she sidestepped the follow-up swipe to get closer to the Grimm, drilling her heel into its leg, followed by a sharp kick to its temple, taking it out of the fight. Or so it would typically go but after days of fighting with minimal rest her strength was fading and so was the deadliness of her feet. Stifling a curse Velvet went in for another kick, this time cracking the Grimm’s mask and ending the creature. Still, she did not have the luxury to celebrate as she found herself rushed by two more Beowolves, trying to take advantage of her time wasted finishing their peer.

Velvet Scarlatina blocked the first attack with her arms and jumped over the second. The third though caught her in the side, brushing her away like she weighed nothing, which might as well be the case, considering. She landed on her feet with gritted teeth and fought through the pain then rushed forward, ducking under another swipe of one Grimm to kick the other right through the next unlucky tree. As she turned to face the third creature two more broke through the tree line, heading straight for her. This time failing to suppress profanities Velvet tried to retreat from the Grimm, keeping her distance, waiting for an opening to strike and …

“Velv, down!”

Velvet reacted immediately to the familiar voice, throwing herself face first to the ground, making herself as flat as possible while simultaneously trying to not drown herself in the puddle of mud in which her head naturally landed. The welcome sound of high caliber rounds shredding everything around and above both sets of ears and her weapon box filled her senses for a few precious moments, then it stopped, and silence fell around her. Velvet waited for a heartbeat before standing up. Mud covering her face and faunus ears she could not make out much more than Coco draining her gun against another side of the forest. As she wiped her face with her arm, an Ursa burst out from under the bullet shredded trees swinging at her faster than she could react.

A familiar shadow fell over her as the giant claws of the Grimm met with polished steel. Velvet did not lose any time, rushing past her defender and nailing the Ursa under its chin with a swift kick. As the Grimm’s head reeled back, the sword came down in an ark, beheading the creature.

Velvet let out a deep sigh and let herself fall back blindly until her back rested against friendly armor. She looked up along said armor and started frowning as her eyes reached the face. Her rabbit ears folded back angrily.

“What are you doing here Yatsu? Coco told you to stay back; your aura is depleted! You could have gotten hurt!”

A warm smile welcomed her frown and defeated it within a second.

“But I didn’t. And neither did you, which is all that matters.”

Velvet puffed her cheeks in a small pout but her ears perking up again revealed her true feelings.

“I totally had that one. Anyway stay out of the fight until your aura is back up, you can’t risk it.”

“Seems to me like I don’t have to.”

From her comfortable resting place against Yatsuhashi’s chest, Velvet looked around the forest. A little bit further down, Fox was drawing his blades out of a swiftly dissipating Grimm while Coco was whacking a dead Ursa with her purse for good measure.

“Huh guess you’re right. Shouldn’t it be way more than this?”

“The main pack didn’t bother to check for stragglers. And Fox couldn’t lure as much into our trap as planned.”

“Great … I get why we can’t attack a pack that big head on but chipping away at it like this is starting to tire me out.”

“It tires me as well, but it’s the best plan we have.”

 

 

Several hours and one two more small chips of the Grimm pack later the sun had set, and the moon in all its shattered glory shone brightly in the night's sky. Team CFVY had retreated into a makeshift camp atop a hill. The Grimm pack they were tracking and supposed to dispatch was in a valley nearby, not moving much, so it was time for a well-deserved rest. Fox and Coco were already asleep, and even though Velvet needed her rest too, she just could not find peace to settle down. She left her sleeping bag and trotted past the low burning fire towards the edge of the hill. Sitting on a falling tree, Yatsuhashi was looking over the valley and the Grimm; his sword laid flat over his knees. As he was running a whetstone over the blade, Velvet wordlessly slipped beside him, looking up towards the moon.

The two sat there in comfortable silence for a while, only the sounds of the forest and the constant grinding of the blade between them. After a while, Yatsuhashi’s deep voice broke the silence.

“Something is bothering you.”

It was not as much of a question, more a statement, but by now Velvet was used to her partner’s flashes of insight into her mind.

“I should be asking you that. It sounds to me as if you’re trying to grind your sword into a dagger.”

Yatsuhashi turned his blade and held it in front of Velvet. She did not see anything at first, but then she noticed a small notch on the edge, barely visible but there nonetheless.

“That Ursa packed a punch. Without my aura around the blade, it left a mark; I can’t quite grind out. But you are deflecting.”

Velvet sighed deeply. Darn her partner and his stubbornness.

“It’s … nothing. No, not nothing, just … silly, I guess.”

“It can’t be silly if it keeps you from your much-needed rest.”

Velvet did not have to turn her head to see his gentle eyes looking at her worriedly. Still, she took a few moments to answer.

“The school dance is happening right now.”

“Ah.” Silence fell between them again, and as she did not continue, he asked further. “And you looked forward to going.”

“Oddly enough … I did.”

“Someone asked you for a dance?”

“No … nothing like that. It’s just … last year I was too shy to even go, but this year I finally felt … confident… in a way. So … I wanted to ask … someone … who I trust to go to the dance with me. Somebody who I feel safe with … it’s silly really I don’t even know if he would have said yes but I set myself this goal … I wanted to ask him after we got back but well …”

“… but we’re stuck out here.”

“Yeah …”

Yatsuhashi set aside his sword and tools and started to look at the moon as well.

“You know … I think he would have said yes.”

Velvet’s ears peaked at that, and she turned her head to look at Yatsuhashi who was wearing a friendly smile while looking at the stars. She watched him for a while, the moonlight rendering his face almost radiant, but he did not say much more. Instead after a while, she heard a small hum coming from him, subtle at first but slowly growing stronger. It took her a moment to realize that he was humming a simple waltz. Velvet turned her eyes towards the moon again and imagined dancing to the waltz, whirling around Beacons ballroom with the other students … and smiling at her dance partner.

With him still humming Velvet slid closer to Yatsuhashi and leaned against him, closing her eyes, thinking about them dancing together.

 

“You do know that he would rather see you dancing out there than mourning in here by yourself, right?”

Velvet slowly opened her eyes as her rabbit ears perked towards the speaker. She did not have to look to know who he was. Instead, she focused briefly on the sterile looking hospital wall before looking down to the large copper blade laying across her lap. Her fingers started ghosting over the notch still present on the edge.

“I don’t want to give you the pleasure of explaining, Fox, but I’m curious. How does everyone always figure out what I am thinking?”

“I can’t speak for the others. But for me it’s easy: it always shows on your face.”

A few heartbeats of silence followed the statement of the blind hunter before Velvet let out a sigh.

“You’re an ass, Fox. You know that right?”

“His reputation is all a man has.” Velvet noticed her bed dipping as Fox sat down beside her, somehow expertly avoiding the large blade. “’Sides you made it easy this time by humming that tune.”

Velvet fell silent after that. It took quite a while until Fox spoke up again.

“You’re letting this shake you too much. You even fell back to our old names, calling me Fox. Twice. You know we all agreed to shut us off so this would not happen, Gadget.”

Yatsuhashi’s blade fell from Velvets lap as she sprung to her feet furiously, ears folded back.

“Don’t give me this shit, Fox! Not now! Not EVER! Of course, I’m shaken! Every sane person would be! He’s DEAD, Fox! Yatsu’s dead! He’s … he’s … dust! He’s dead…”

Velvet fell to her knees silent tears streaming down her face. It did not take long until she felt a hand on her shoulder guiding her towards Fox’s waiting arms. She wept on the shoulder of the kneeling hunter while he tried to comfort the faunus, stroking her hair softly.

“I know it sounds harsh and inconsiderate, but we decided to let it be that way for a reason. This whole thing, being hunters, being an army, protecting our home … that’s bigger than us. And we can’t throw our responsibility away no matter how much it hurts to continue. But you got to push past that. We can’t stay out of the fight forever, and when we need to go out again we need you.” Fox’ voice softened. “We’ll always need you, Velvet.”

Velvet managed to draw her head away from Fox’s shoulder and pulled back, out of his arms. Her tears dried up, for now, she looked uncomfortable to the side.

“From where I am standing, it doesn’t look like you and Coco are hurt at all.”

She could feel his empty stare on her.

“That’s not fair, and you know it. Yatsu may have been your partner and more, but he was our teammate too, our friend. Of course, it hurts. It hurts so fucking much. But we are not allowed to feel hurt. Not yet. Not until this is over. And Coco knows that. You know how she is. Yatsu’s death is ripping her apart, but our thick-headed leader will never show it in front of us or the troops. She buries herself in work, so she doesn’t have the time to think about it. She keeps up a strong facade. Tells everyone to push forward, keep the fight going, so his death will not be in vain. That does not change the fact that I can hear her softly crying at night.”

Velvet turned her head slightly but kept her eyes on the hands folded in front of her knees. Her ears flat on her head she spoke with a strained voice.

“And you? How do you cope?”

A finger softly raised her chin until she could see into white eyes.

“Someone has to keep it together for you. Reputation, remember?”

That earned him a soft chuckle and after a few seconds of silence Velvet wiped the tear streaks from her face and nodded, bobbing his finger in the process.

Fox agreed with a smirk. “That’s the spirit. We’ll have to keep moving. For Yatsu.”

“For Yatsu.” Velvet nodded, and her ears perked up again as she dusted herself off and stood up. “Okay. I’ll try, Sly. So … what is going on anyway?”

Fox straightened and folded his hands behind his back. His voice returned to its usual sly tone. “Well, it’s only a week since the attack. So yeah, nothing at all would be the best answer. From what I can gather from Shades we’re in a stalemate. Both sides are fucked up hard enough to just be content with licking their wounds for now. So Shades is doing what she does best.”

Velvet let out an experience laden sigh.

“She’s drilling the troops ‘till they drop.”

“You know her well. But these days she lets Mouser do that. Got a personal pet project now, though.”

Velvet raised an eyebrow at that.

“And that would be …”

“Someone has to get Yang back in fighting shape.”

If Fox could see, he would have been alarmed by the angrily folded rabbit ears. Unfortunately, he could not, and Velvet managed to keep her voice dangerously neutral.

“Xiao Long’s still here?”

“Yeah well, it’s not like she got any place to go. So after beating the shit out of her, Shades offered to recruit her. Since then she’s beating the shit out of her some more to get her back on her feet. I should probably get down there, check out how it’s going. At this rate though, I fear we’ll have Yang shaped marks in the sparring ring before she can land a proper takedown.”

“Yeah … you do that.”

“You okay, Gadget?”

“No. But I will be, don’t worry.”

As Fox just nodded and headed for the door Velvet moved to the window. If she craned her neck a bit, she could see the training grounds covered in freshly fallen snow. Two figures were sparring and based on one silhouette being obviously unevenly shaped it was not particularly hard to guess who it was. Velvet’s knuckles started to become white as she balled her hands into fists. Shaken with anger her eyes narrowed on the figure being tossed and beaten down ever so often.

_It’s her fault! She’s the reason Yatsu’s dead! And now she walks around here as if she belongs! How dare she! How dare she trying to take his place, after all, she has done! I hate her. I HATE HER!_


	8. If It Works ...

**Wednesday 0720.**  
**Four months after.F.B.**

 

One of the most redeeming qualities of chilly winter mornings may as well be that they are practically made for working out. Not too cold, not too hot, just right to feel fresh and not sluggish. One does not sweat that much either, and it cranks your metabolism up to eleven. As long as one is on the move and active it is perfect. Then again lying face down on frost-covered ground hardly qualifies as moving. Or being perfect, for that matter.

Yang let out a deep growl as she rolled onto her back. That was the fifth time this morning she found out the hard way again what the worst quality of chilly winter mornings was. Hitting the frozen ground is painful.

“Done already, Private? Come on; I didn’t even kick you this time.” The smirk on Coco’s face should have been all motivation Yang needed to spout a one-liner, do a kip-up, or something equally unnecessary, and attempt to find out how good sunglasses protect against a fist. It should have been, and it _would_ have been months ago, but not anymore. So instead Yang just propped herself up on her arm and started frowning.

“Remind me again, why it is a good idea to have you wreck me over and over again and not, I don’t know, let me train up with someone on my level, ma’am?”

A few feet away from her Coco just rolled her eyes. The brunette was still holding her combat stance, fists up protecting her designer glasses. Clad in only a tank top, military pants and combat boots her commanding officer sure did not look like she cared about chilly mornings. That might have been because of the signature beret. But more likely because Coco was skipping on her toes in an almost mockingly manner.

“We’ve been over this, Private. I’ve got no-one on your level. If I were to pit you against the ladies back there, you would win. Missing arm and months-long vacation or not. So for you to overcome those problems, you’ll need to face those problems. Which means you’ll get to remind me of the good old times where I did not fight with an over-sized lawn mower for a weapon.”

There were a few chuckles from the rest of the soldiers around them until stern looks from Coco motivated everyone greatly to continue the scheduled sparring sessions with great vigor. Everyone but Mouser that is. The Major was standing to the side, overseeing the efforts and taking notes, just like he had the last few days. In fact, Yang has not seen the Major participating in more than the routine fitness exercises before. Not that it mattered to her much at the moment. Right now her butt was freezing.

Yang sighed deeply and stood up again. She was dressed similarly to Coco, without beret and sunglasses but with a hair-clipped ponytail and a baseball cap. Managing her mane of hair with one hand was still a pain but at least with the old black cap Hacks had lying around, it was a bit easier. Yang resumed her old combat stance as much as she could these days and began circling Coco again for another round.

 

“So, how many times did Shades wipe her out today?”

The pair of gray, round ears of Mouser twitched in surprise for a second but other than that the faunus did not react to the sudden question directed at him. “Six times in twenty-five minutes by now. You know, I kinda expected better from someone who won in the singles round of the Vytal Festival, Sly.”

Fox walked to a spot beside Mouser and looked vaguely in the direction of the fighters. He could not see anything directly of course, but if he concentrated his aura enough, he could sense them in a way that made up for that. It was a handy skill to have but one with a considerable downside: when your aura is out sensing stuff for you it’s usually not there to block incoming damage, as evident with the multitude of Fox’s scars all over his body. Luckily for him, nothing was out to hurt him today, so he could safely use most of his aura to get a detailed picture of what was happening.

“Cut her some slack, Mouser. Looks to me as if she’s still trying to fight like she used to. Which obviously does not work one-handed.”

As if to emphasize his point, Yang, after dodging and blocking a lengthy strike and kick combination of Coco with ease, sidestepped a blow aimed for her head and came up under Coco's guard … on Coco's right side. What should have been a simple strike with her strong right hand naturally could not happen and gave Coco enough time to react and elbow a surprised looking Yang hard in the back of the blonde’s head.

“And that’s seven.” Mouser briefly shakes his head before attaching his pen to his clipboard and turning towards Fox. “So how’s Gadget by the way? It’s a rarity to see you with us these days, Sly.”

“She can’t stay holed up forever. I kept her company for as long as I could, but she needs to get back up. Needs to start moving on. Maybe me not being there all the time gets her bored, and she gets going, who knows.”

Mouser just nods at the unhelpful response and looks back to the fight. “You’re wrong though, about Xiao Long fighting as she used to that is, and that’s the problem. She’s changed her style drastically from what I’ve seen in the tournament, and Yang keeps changing stuff up over the last few days. There are moments like that just now, where it looks like she’s outclassing our fearless leader. Like the girl should be able to according to her reputation. But then a second later, she falls into old habits again and gets schooled like an amateur. I talked with Shades about it, and she sees the same thing: as long as she’s thinking about what to do and how to react it works, but the moment Xiao Long stops thinking her old style takes over, and she’s done for. You should get down there and help her out, Sly.”

Fox raised an eyebrow at that. “For someone who can’t fight for shit, you have very astute observations. Also, I thought Shades planned to get Xiao Long to figure it out for herself? The hard way?”

“I know what the plan is, but it’s been days, and it always plays out the same. For all the progress Xiao Long makes, for all the changes, it’s still too similar to her old style, and therefore she keeps falling back into old habits. We don’t have the time to let her figure this out at her own pace. We could get ordered to move out any day, and she hasn’t even been briefed about her gear yet. She needs to re-think her approach. So get down there and drop some knowledge.”

“And piss off Shades by going against her orders? Not a chance. Why don’t _you_ do that _yourself,_ Mouser?”

Mouser just calmly tabs his pen against his clipboard. “Did Shades really _order_ you do not help the Private or did she just talk to you about what she was trying to do?”

Fox took a second to process that sentence; he did not like where this was going. “She did not give me an order _exactly_ ….”

“Good.” Mouser did not even give Fox enough time to finish. “In that case, Sergeant, your orders are to get down there and help the Private figure out a new style of combat that suits her disabilities. Take as much time as you need, not like you got anything better to do, it seems.”

Fox narrowed his eyes at Mouser, apparently not happy about that turn of events.

“Something unclear, Sergeant?” Mouser didn’t even give him the courtesy of pretending to have seen Fox’ effort of throwing daggers with his eyes.

“No, Major. I’m getting right to it, sir.”

As Fox did a sharp salute and started to head straight down to sparring area, Mouser could not hide a small smirk.

_Food Chain indeed._

 

Yang let out a frustrated grunt as she found herself on her back, again. She started to feel a bit frustrated. Yang worked hard the past days to adapt her fighting style, and it felt like she was almost there, got it almost figured out … and then the blonde found herself on the ground again. As she looked up, she saw Coco skipping on her toes again, waiting for her to get back up for another round. Letting her head fall back to the ground she stared into the sky until a pair of boots stopped beside her, and Fox’s face came into view.

“What are you doing, Private?”

“Lying on the ground, Sarge.”

“Why are you lying on the ground, Xiao Long?”

“The Colonel whooped my ass again, sir.”

“So it seems. And why is that, Private?”

“Uhh ….” Yang furrowed her eyebrows for a second. “Because the Colonel is better than me?”

Fox snorted. “That’s a lot of crap, Private. The Colonel sucks.”

“Hey!” From Yang’s position on the ground, Coco sounded mildly offended.

“Don’t you deny it, ma’am, I got some first-hand experience on the matter.” Fox briefly glanced into Coco's general direction and judging by the smirk on his face and the lack of a response from Coco; Yang was almost certain the innuendo of that sentence was on purpose. “You’re kicking her sorry butt in every spar up until the end, but then you screw up, and you get decked. Why is that?”

Yang took a second to think about that before answering. “Because I keep falling into old patterns. I adapted my style to a one-handed version, and it works, but once I get into the flow of thing I stop thinking and …”

“… that was a rhetorical question, Private. You get decked because you are stupid.”

Yang blinked twice, still looking up to Fox, his response taking her off guard. “What?”

“What …?” The way Fox said that made it entirely clear what he expected Yang to say.

“What … sir.”

“Better. I said you are stupid.”

“And … why am I stupid? Sir?” Yang was thoroughly confused at this point, and her voice must have been giving her away since Fox chuckled and stepped around her, offering her a hand. She let herself get pulled up by him and found herself face to genuine smile.

“Let me ask you something, Yang. Do you expect me to see your confused look right now?”

“Well … no. You’re blind, Sergea …”

“Can the rank, Yang, I was just pulling your chain earlier. You’re right. I am blind. That’s why I shouldn’t expect to see anything. Another question: Since I am blind and should not expect to see anything, why should you expect to fight with a style for two arms, when ….”

“… when I only have one.” Yang let her head hang low. “But … I mean I almost got it. I just have to figure out how to …”

“You won’t figure it out.” Yang looked up into empty, white eyes. A response was dying on her lips as she heard the sincerity in Fox’s voice. “I know that is hard to hear, and it sucks, but believe me, I know what that’s like. You are used to doing things a certain way, and it is scary to deviate from that. When I lost my sight, I tried to cling to it, too. I asked people to describe things to me constantly, so I could imagine how everything looks. So I could pretend that I could still see. And that’s all well and good if you’re going to town to buy milk, but we’re not civilians. We’re soldiers. When you’re in the thick of things you don’t have a grocery list, you only have your instincts and your training. Thinking is too slow; you need to act. And how did you act when Shades pushed you far enough in your little exercises here?”

Yang let out a heavy sigh. “I acted like I used to, the way I was trained.”

“And that doesn’t that work, because …?”

It took a few heartbeats for Yang to answer. Her body seemed to tremble a bit, and it was not because she was suddenly aware that almost everyone in the training court was listening. It was a fact the blonde tried to forget for months so it wouldn’t haunt her in her dreams. She slowly reached up and grabbed her stump hard, trying to fight the sudden pain coming from a limp that was no longer there. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself before answering.

“Because I haven’t really accepted that I only got one arm left.”  
  
“So how should you fight instead?”

“… Like I only have one arm.”

Fox nodded and put a hand on her upper right arm. The contact helped to soothe the pain radiating from it if only a little bit. “Good. I know that could not have been easy but realizing that you have to start from scratch is the first big step. Now. Luckily for us, and other than Shades here, you don’t suck at hand to hand combat. Therefore we should come up with a way to wipe that stupid grin off the Colonel's face.”

“We?”

“Of course we. I’m the best-damned fighter in these ‘racks! It’ll be easy to make you the second best. And no, I am not only helping you since Mouser pulled rank on me, he did, and he will tell you about it, repeatedly, but because I want to. We’re in this together now, Yang. So let me help you and together we’ll get you back on track.”

Fox raised a fist in front of Yang and showed another genuine smile. Yang stared at the fist for a second in an attempt to gather her confused thoughts. She was in danger to be overwhelmed by all of it but at least for now concentrating on Fox, and his promised help gave her a bit of direction to hang on to. Yang let out a slightly pained chuckle before bumping Fox’ fist with her own.

“Alright, Sly. How do we wreck her shades?”

Fox moved behind Yang as she turned around to face Coco. The brunette was waiting patiently, and Yang could have sworn she saw a warm smile on Coco just before she started to feign disinterest by inspecting her fingernails. Fox's hands came down on Yang's shoulders as he leaned forward to half-whisper in her ear as both of them observed the silly antics of their commanding officer.

“Coming up with something from scratch might be too hard for now. So let’s focus on overcoming the main problems that come with having only one arm. Balance. Cover and Protection. Reaction and Offense. You can’t fight in an even stance like you did before, so go for an uneven one. Instead of evening out your weight, deliberately move it to a specific side, use it as an anchor. Your right side lacks means of defense. You can’t block or parry without an arm so don’t even try to. Rely on dodging whenever you can’t use your left arm to protect yourself. When you are forced to block you can’t attack since your arm is occupied. That works the other way around too: you’re helpless against counters while attacking. So try to be quick on your feet and evade strikes, wait for openings to dive in for an attack of your own rather than force one by blocking, you can’t capitalize fast enough with only one arm, at least not faster than she can. Now, think. Do you know a style that would work for you? It might even be abstract and unrelated to fighting, just a basic foundation on which you can start building.”

_Some style that works with one arm? Something abstract? Like what? Sports? Maybe something with a bat? No, you always need two hands for that sort of stuff. Dancing? I mean that would solve the dodging and avoiding … except what I know of dancing usually leads to grinding bodies together and I am not sure that would be effective here. Gardening? Why_ the dust am _I thinking about gardening? Am I going to bash her with a shovel? Focus! Something with a shifted balance and an emphasis on dodging and evading …_

“Actually … I think I got something in mind.” Yang felt the start of a mischievous grin appearing on her face. _This is such a dumb idea …_

“That’s what I am talking about! Now go and take her down, Private.” As Fox started to move to the side of the court and Coco resumed her combat stance. Yang just briefly shook her head.

_Well, Fox seems confident … ah, what the heck. Either this works, or I’ll end up in the snow again. I’m basically used to that by now anyway._

She calmed her breath again as she positioned herself in front of Coco, using a stance she was really familiar with. After all, she had seen it a hundred times during team sparring. As she lifted her head up, she extended her left arm, angeling her shoulders back. She moved her foot forward, and immediately corrected it a bit back, and slowed her breathing. Across from her Coco’s eyebrows tried to fuse with her hairline and Yang could not blame her.

_I really should have paid more attention to Weiss’ stances, but this kinda works … I hope._

Yang brought her hand back to her chest, and she let out a deep breath before charging. Coco immediately brought her hands up in defense, cowering down a bit and using her elbows to protect her sides. Usually, she would try to break the guard, but that would leave her open for a counter. So instead of attacking Yang stopped short and whirled past Coco’s left side, throwing a quick strike towards Coco’s back. Coco reacted as expected, spinning around she swatted Yang’s arm away with her left, going in for a hit with her right. With her arm coming to the front of her chest again, Yang made a quick step to the right to dodge the attack, pivoting on her right foot and countering with a straight left of her own. Coco, having expected Yang to tank the blow, as usual, was caught off guard and could not bring her left arm down fast enough to prevent a quick stabbing strike to her side. Grunting, Coco tried to retreat a step back and bring her defense back up. But Yang did not give her enough time. Quickly closing the distance to Coco she made another stabbing strike, right above Coco’s guard, hitting the shoulder. As Coco tried to block and retreat, Yang pursued her, attacking every opening with quick rapier-like strikes. These frankly didn’t do much damage but were only intended to keep Coco on the back-foot, anyway. Annoyed by the blonde’s method of attacking, Coco, with her arms protecting her face, though probably more so her shades, took a quick step forward trying to ram her shoulder into Yang. Yang could not hide a smirk as she had Coco right where she wanted her. She quickly sprung back just far enough to avoid contact, but still close enough to send a crushing left to the officer's temple.

And as Coco found herself lying flat on her belly for the first time in days, Yang whirled around with a cheer on her lips and a bright smile that did not falter one bit as she saw Fox standing there, face-palming hard and muttering under his breath.

“That was _so_ not what I was talking about….”

Yang could not care less. She was laughing too hard. “Well, I mean, if it works …”


	9. Heart And Soul

**Thursday 0800.**  
**Four months and one week after.F.B.**

 

Walking the barracks on a Thursday morning usually felt strange these days, almost like visiting a ghost town. It was not always that way, though. In the first weeks, it had been like every other day: soldiers exercising and training, people running around everywhere setting up new buildings or modifying equipment. Though in time, Vale military life started to get more organized. Scheduled training times, standardized protocols, a structured chain of command, something like that sounds mundane, but for a country who did not have a standing army since the Great War, it was a bit of a struggle. Academies and their hunters were only loosely disciplined, and the typical Vale citizen experience of military structure consisted of last year’s most popular war movie.

So it did take a while for things to settle in, but since then Thursday mornings, for the 7th battalion anyway, meant ranged weapon drill in a nearby abandoned shopping mall. The shops there, and frankly the entire block, lay barren since the Fall of Beacon, the patrons, and inhabitants having skipped town for greener shores presumably. At first, the whole thing was just the empty stores with cardboard targets spread in them, but over time the equipment got more and more involved, and by now there were different themed areas for specific training. Long shooting ranges for rifles, narrow corridors, and streets for more urban combat, even a jungle area which was almost entirely made up by the props of the mall’s former pet store. So naturally when it was time for gun practice it could take quite a while, and most of the battalion would be away until midday. Though even then there were typically people around the barracks. You couldn’t fit the entire battalion in that mall, and usually, soldiers got assigned unique training lessons or other tasks to keep the numbers balanced. This, however, was the first Thursday after the invasion of Patch and now the battalion was small enough to fill the shooting range completely.

As Velvet moved through the barracks’ grounds, an eerie silence was surrounding her. Sometime between the battalion’s departure and now it had snowed briefly, and everything got glazed with pure, untouched white. She pulled her coat a bit tighter around her uniform, as she made her way from the medical facility towards the sleeping area. Roughly halfway to her destination her right ear perked up, twitching slightly as she did catch some faint sounds. A bit curious, she made her way towards them. As she drew nearer to the source, her faunus hearing managed to identify what was going on slowly.

Stepping around another building, Velvet looked down towards the sparring area and onto two figures engaged in a fight. Well, _somewhat_ of a fight. She’s sure Fox would have been able to deck Yang in ten seconds flat if he would have wanted to. Instead, it looked more like teaching, which was on equal part confusing and amusing, at least considering the style they seem to be going for. From what Velvet could tell, Yang was attacking with a largely kick focused style, mostly using her remaining arm for balance and blocking and only the occasional counterattack. Even though that was not in the least what Velvet was used to seeing from the brawler, it was not the amusing part. It was that Fox was trying to teach somebody to kick.

_For Pete’s sake, the guy uses arm blades longer than his actual legs! The only time I ever see his feet leave the ground so much as three inches is while doing one of those dust awful somersaults of his. Honestly, if anything I should be teaching her how to …_

Velvet’s thoughts instantly derail as her eyes lock onto Yang, currently on the ground after a well-placed strike from Fox, laughing. And exceptionally heartily at that. Velvet felt the blood rushing into her head as she balled her fists tightly on her side.

_No, no, NO. Why is she laughing? She sucks! Yatsu died for that worthless piece of dung, and she just sits there and LAUGHS. She can’t fight, she’s useless, and still, she’s here, and he’s not! It’s her fault! ALL HER FAULT!_

Velvet whirls around and starts stomping off towards the sleeping barracks. Her thoughts were swirling in her head as her rage tried to find some outlet so she would not burst. And that was getting increasingly harder. She barely managed to settle down and get at least a minor portion of sleep after her talk with Fox. If left unchecked her thoughts always ended up at Yang and the rage she felt there was starting to fell rather welcome.

“Do my eyes deceive me? Is it really a rare specimen of the snow-bunny species? I'll be damned to have left her camera in the weapons locker.”

Velvet does not even dignify that by slowing down. “Fuck off, Shades.”

She could hear a small chuckle as Coco quickly caught up with her and fell in line with her step. Damn those long legs. And how did she miss her leader creeping up on her like that?

“Rude. All jokes aside I am glad that you came out of that hospital. We missed you.”

Velvet snorts at that. “Yeah, right.”

They take a few steps in silence before Coco speaks up again.

“You’re troubled.”

“You think so? How do you figure that?”

She stops as she feels Coco’s hand on her right arm. She turned around and glared into chocolate brown eyes filled with concern. “Velv … talk to me.”

“And why would I do that, Shades? It doesn’t matter what troubles me since it’s apparently inconvenient for you anyway. Yatsu died, and it took you all but a day to move on and go back to business! Or did you think I forgot the day you walked into my hospital room with that damned box of yours?”

_“It was barely a day after they told us he was dead. I didn’t believe that for a second! He couldn’t be, he simply couldn’t. He was always the strongest of us, and you know it! That shrapnel was barely as big as my hand, that’s nothing for him. So I waited in the next hospital room, I told them to clear out the other bed so there would be room to roll him right in after he wakes up again. Couldn’t risk that they put him somewhere away from me. I had to keep him safe this time. I failed on Patch, I was too late, got that bloody plane too late. He wouldn’t have gotten injured if I would have been faster and I was going to make it up to him. So I didn’t care that they told me he isn’t coming back and that nonsense I just waited, worried but I knew he’d make it. And then you walk in. With a box of stuff and his sword and I actually thought that that was a nice gesture. That you wanted him to wake up surrounded by his own stuff so it’ll feel familiar and homey. But that wasn’t why you came, was it? No, you came and talked as if he died! Spilling the same tune like those damned nurses! You even dared to do your whole spiel of trying to comfort the family of your dead soldiers. You said that he wanted me to have his stuff since he had no family left, and I was the most important one in his life. And I could just stare at you and couldn’t understand what you were talking about! He was right here, a few rooms down the hall and it would have been even fewer if those darned nurses would have let me use their so-called break room. It wouldn’t have been long, and they would have rolled his bed in there, and I could have waited until he woke up again. But no you had to convince me that he was gone. You took my hope away. You took HIM away. And then when you were done ruining my life you just dropped that fucking box off and left! Left me alone with that stuff and my grief, dumped it all on me so you could go out here and be done with it. Like nothing ever happened!”_

By the end of her outburst Velvet was seething even more than before. Somehow during that short period, she got so close to Coco that their noses almost touched, height differences be damned. But still, Coco’s eyes were filled with concern, empathy and something else that Velvet could practically feel stirring underneath. It took a few heartbeats until Coco answered. Her voice was barely a whisper, but it rang clear as a shout through Velvets mind.

“That wasn’t the only thing I came to tell you though, right?”

Velvet’s breath hitched for a second as the veil of rage that clouded her mind opened up for a brief moment of remembrance.

 

**Tuesday 7 a.m.**  
**About two years before.F.B.**

 

It was a slightly chilly morning in the Emerald Forrest, not that Velvet’s adrenalin filled body had a mind of noticing that. And maybe adrenalin was not quite the right explanation since at this point it was mostly pure fear. Hunched atop of a big tree branch she kept herself hidden behind the leafs, listening intently to her surroundings. Listening and asking herself for the eighth time this morning what on Remnant had driven her to sign up for a combat academy. Well, the answer to that came easy: she wanted to return home to protect her family and friends from the Grimm. And Grimm she can handle just fine. Being forced to make eye-contact and find a partner with which she would be stuck with for the rest of her time in the school … _big_ nope. What if she gets stuck with a bully? Or someone similarly revolting? Or worse: some anti-faunus racist! And yes, that would be just her bad luck but even if she got an acceptable partner she’d still have to open up, to trust and share her secrets and thoughts and … bigger nope. Sure she knew there would be partners and teams, but she had hoped to get more time and say in the selection process! In short, she could not do it, and therefore she would hide in this tree until she figured out a better plan.

Quite a while later she was nowhere near a solution and fate decided to screw her over. Her rabbit ears perked up as she heard something near her tree, making its way through the bushes and hedges. Velvet went rigid, trying to be as silent as possible she just waited. A moment later she could see a rather large man with short hair and a distinct green armor stop at her tree. He held a giant sword and, craning her neck a bit; she could see he was looking around. And then a few heartbeats later he looked up and almost directly at her. She tried to sink into the branches by willpower alone but apparently; it did not work very well.

“I think the area is secure. I can sense no imminent danger. You can come down now.”

Velvet didn’t move a muscle. Maybe if she did not react to him, then he would move on once he lost interest?

“I promise everything is safe.”

Still, Velvet did not want to reveal herself. But apparently, he knew exactly where she was hiding since he reached out with an open hand as if to offer to help her get down. So naturally, she hurdled farther away and deeper into the tree branches.

“Ah … I see.”

Instead of elaborating further the man just turned and sat himself down at the base of the tree. Legs folded underneath him he sat with a straight back, sword resting over his knees, hands sitting atop of the blade. Relative silence returned to the forest, at least if you did not count distant sounds of fighting and something that suspiciously sounded like a military grade heavy weapon shredding half of the woods. The man did not seem to move at all. Velvet waited a while longer before slowly crawling closer again, as silently as she was able to. Once close enough she carefully peered down and saw the man with his eyes closed, almost as if he was meditating.

_Why is he just sitting there? There are Grimm everywhere. Please just go already. He’s totally open and unprotected down there. And with me shaking like a leaf it’s just a matter of time before I attract some Grimm. Oh no, what if he’s actually asleep down there? He wouldn’t see them coming!_

Contemplating what to do Velvet mustered all of her courage to mutter something of a question. Her voice comes out very unsteady and lowly.

“Uh … why are you … just sitting there?”

The answer came almost immediately even though the man showed no signs of movement.

“I am resting.”

“What … why are you resting? It’s dangerous here! What about the Grimm?”

“Why should I worry about them? I trust you to have my back and warn me when they show up.”

_What?_ “… how can you trust me? You don’t even know me.”

“Easy. That’s what partners do.”

Velvet had to tighten her grip on her branch so she would not fall from surprise.

“What? But we haven’t even locked eyes yet! At least I don’t think so? So, go! Find a better suitable partner and leave me alone.”

“I disagree.”

“So … we did lock eyes?”

“No.”

Velvet fell silent again, thoroughly confused. _What is this guy’s deal? Why can’t he just leave me alone?_ It takes quite a few minutes before Velvet speaks up again.

“How are we Partners when we haven’t locked eyes?”

“The eye thing does not matter. When I came by this tree, I sensed you up there. It was destined that we found each other. Therefore we are partners.”

And that was all he had to say about that apparently. Velvet did not understand that reasoning one bit, but she figured even the most thick-headed guy would give up at some point. So she remained silent on her branch. After a while, she had completely lost track of time. Occasionally she chanced a look at the man, but he was still there, waiting patiently. After what might as well have been an hour Velvet noticed something. She was not as afraid as before. In fact, she seemed less on edge as well. It was strange, she all her instincts had told her to run and get away from that person, but now they were noticeably silent. The guy was just sitting there, giving her the space she needed. He really was no threat.

It took a few minutes longer, but Velvet slowly started to move and climb down the tree. The man was still not budging, and she carefully walked around him, ready to bolt at any second. The man, however, remained calm and unmoving, with the faintest hint of a smile on his face. Velvet settled herself down on her knees in front of him, tilting her head, observing the man somewhat cautiously.

“What’s your name?”  
  
“Yatsuhashi Daichi.”

He still had not moved nor opened his eyes for that matter.

“Yatsuhashi … my name’s Velvet. Velvet Scarlatina.”

Only now did Yatsuhashi open his eyes. Two pairs of brown locked with each other and Velvet could see the kindness and warmth of his.

“Velvet Scarlatina. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am honored that I am your partner and I will help and protect you to the fullest of my abilities.”

Velvet blinked a few times before blushing slightly and diverting her eyes. She managed to mutter a “Thank you” before looking up again into a warm smile.

“Now I believe we are tasked to find a relic of sorts. Shall we?”

He waited patiently for her to nod and then stood, offering her a hand to help her up. She flashed him a sincere smile and took it.

 

**Thursday 0830.**  
**Four months and one week after.F.B.**

 

Eyes wide after the memory flooded through her mind Velvet took a step back from Coco, averting her gaze. Coco’s voice sounded strained and did not hold their usual confidence.

“I did not visit you to remind you of your loss or leave my own grief with you. If you thought that was what I did I sincerely apologize. I wanted to help you deal with your grief, Velv, by reminding you about how Yatsu lived, how he was there for you and others. Fond memories to help you keep him in your heart, not rub in what you lost. I wanted you to have his possessions as a keepsake, not a taunt. He was more than just a friend and partner to all of us. He accepted us for who we are, even if it came at a disadvantage for him. He believed in all of us, and he let us know it whenever we needed to hear it. I am the one that leads our team, Fox is the one that makes us laugh, you are the one that keeps us in line, and he was our heart and soul. Without him, there would be no Team CFVY. He brought out the best of us. And I wanted you to know that when you think of him.”

“And still you’re not showing it, Shades. You don’t even care. You went right back to it. Even started to work on a replacement. You don’t even care that she’s the reason he’s dead.”

After half muttering that, Velvet couldn’t quite bring herself to look Coco in the eyes. Her rage from earlier was not entirely gone but instead remained very dulled, buried under fond memories.

“That’s what’s bothering you. Do you really think that’s why I do it?”

Coco’s voice sounded strange. Weak, almost broken. It took a bit of effort but hearing her friend talk like that was enough for Velvet to look Coco in the eyes. She almost instantly regretted it as she saw those chocolate brown eyes slowly watering up. It nearly broke her heart to answer honestly.

“Yes … I do.” Velvet could see Coco’s lower lip quiver for a second as a few tears started to stream down her face. Her voice sounded even weaker than before.

“Velv … I … I just can’t do it. We lost him … I lost him … he trusted me to lead us, and I failed. I failed all of them. Now he’s dead … and eleven other soldiers from our battalion too … they all died on Patch … all because I couldn’t … I promised to keep them all save, and I failed, Velv! And all I want to do is to roll into a ball in a corner and stay there but I can’t … I have to keep going. I have to, you know. I failed them but I haven’t failed you and the others yet, and I can’t just give up … I promised. I promised … I ….”

Velvet saw Coco all but physically breaking down in front of her, and she couldn’t help it, she rushed forward and pulled her leader into a tight embrace, holding her while Coco let it all out.

“So … so … I have to keep going. I needed to tell you about Yatsu and preserve his memory, and I needed to tell the families of the other fallen … They had a right to know … that is my responsibility … I failed them. And I had to be strong for them, they had to know …. And Yang, Yang lost everything! Her team is gone, her family is gone, her arm as well … she had nowhere to go, and she came to me for help and I … I … dust Velv I almost killed her … beat her to a bloody pulp because I lost it … I had to help her; we have to help her … She got no one else. And I figured … I figured Yatsu, Yatsu saw something in her that day, like he always did … he knew we had to help her, that’s why he did it. That’s why he saved her and gave his life … so … that we can help her. She didn’t deserve this, and he knew it … So I hope … I hope by helping her … I hope that’s what he wanted, you know? I am not trying to replace him, dust no … there’s no way … no way …”

“Hey. Hey, Coco, it’s okay. I’m sorry for what I said; I didn’t mean it. Shhhh, It’s okay.”

Velvet continued to try to soothe Coco, who mumbled apologies and explanations for quite a while longer. Velvet knew she had to be there for her friend now, most of her anger was gone by now. She did understand the reasoning of her leader. Coco was certainly right. Helping Yang was what Yatsu would have wanted. He would not hesitate a second to throw his life away to save someone else, in fact, he had not hesitated. Even with a crying Coco in her arms though, Velvet could not stop doubts creeping up within, gnawing at her. And as she saw Yang sparring with Fox and failing miserably, a single thought was still holding its ground.

_He made the wrong call … she’s not worth half as much as he was. And I’ll make sure that everyone knows it._


	10. Shades Of The Past

**Saturday 1830.**  
**Four months and one week after.F.B.**

 

If one had asked Coco half a year ago how her preferred office would look like she probably would have said: pompous and extravagant. Present-Coco would not quite share that sentiment. War has a way of grounding you, making you realize that functionality should always win over style and ego. Her present office would have made Past-Coco squeal in delight.

Located a bit off the main barracks compound were a series of bungalows, the fancy sort, one of them repurposed to serve as her office. Giving its design and original furniture, it was safe to say that an ordinary citizen would go bankrupt within five seconds of just looking at the structure. Vale Military Command deemed it appropriate to … appropriate the building since it was close enough to the barracks and therefore less expensive than constructing a more fitting building on the compound grounds. Coco hated every bit of that.

‘Close enough’ still entailed unnecessary distance to her troops, not to mention the risk of dampening morale because the _fashionista_ needed her _l_ _uxury_. Not that anyone in the 7th Battalion would think that but why take the chance. All sentiments aside, she was used to sleeping close to her team, share the comforts and discomforts. She was the leader, but that did not mean special treatment. It was called team building for a reason, after all. However, her position as commanding officer brought with it obscene amounts of paperwork and documents that could rival the size of her old wardrobe. Apparently, that had to be stored somewhere else than underneath her bunk in the barracks. And since her superiors outright refused to construct a less ridiculous office, even though she offered to pay for it, Coco had given in. All of that had not stopped her from throwing out all the expensive furniture and everything else unnecessary. Instead, she used one of the rooms as a conference room for the officers of the 7th, one as her primary office room and another for … well.

Coco let out a pained sigh as her gaze drifted from the reports on her table over to the third room. Her desk was the only piece of furniture from the old building she did keep, since it was made of mahogany, because, you know, _mahogany_. Not that it did much to keep her attention at the moment. Her eyes locked on a series of pictures, meticulously placed around the room. There were small stands set side by side, each of them carrying several pictures. Some photos were of people in military uniform or armor, some clad in casual or dresses. Some people were pictured laughing; others had them in various states of happy embarrassment. Each stand had pictures featuring the same person, alone or with friends and family. And each of the respective stands had a badge with a date. The day that person died. She called the room the memorial room since it contained everyone that had been killed in the 7th battalion or at least had been associated with them for a while. There were way too many pictures already.

“You know, I appreciate the sentiment you are going for in that room, but this will slowly drive you mad. You have to let them go, Coco.”

Coco did not even turn her head while avoiding the statement. “Calling me Coco, huh? What happened to ‘stick to our new soldier personae and shut the feelings out’, Fox?”

“You’re telling me that, right now, you are shutting your feelings out?”

“No.” Coco turned towards Fox. She was not wearing her beret or her sunglasses, not that Fox could see it, but he could guess since it felt like Coco was a lot weaker without them. Like she lost the barriers she so often put up towards everyone.

“I am not going to insult your intelligence by explaining again why we stopped using our real names since you know that better than the rest of us. It was your idea after all. It’s just that it seems that we have somehow traded Velvet for you. She shows up at the barracks like nothing happened and you decided to disappear and hide in here with your work. I can’t exactly feel like this isn’t related, so spill it, Coco.”

Coco grunted and pinched the bridge of her nose. “We … talked two days ago, while you were training with Yang and the others were out shooting. She poured her heart out, and it wasn’t pretty. Neither was my breakdown afterward.”

“Coco … do you want to talk about it?”

There was a heavy silence between them. For Fox, it felt like it grew more uncomfortable by the second. There had been a time where the two of them were close enough that he did not even have to ask if something was wrong. Coco would have come to him right away and told him. But that seemed a long time ago. Fox knew that Coco’s concept of using other personae, so their real selves survive the war was only in place for everyone else but Coco herself. Fox had the ever-growing suspicion that the Coco he knew was already plenty tarnished.

“No. Not really.” It took a few heartbeats, and a deep sigh before Coco put her sunglasses back up and straightened her posture. “So, you said Gadget is back from the hospital for good, Sly?”

The shifting tone was not lost to Fox, but he managed to keep his frustrations hidden well enough.

“Sure thing, Shades. After your talk apparently, she just joined the rest of us like she never left. Didn’t say a word just got in line for the drill. Sticks to the routine ever since.”

“Noticed anything weird about her? Like acting out of character or something like that?”

Fox had to think for a second. “Not really. Just plain old Gadget. She’s a bit distant towards Xiao Long but then again so is everyone else. Why?”

“Nothing, just wondering. What’s that about Xiao Long not getting along?”

“I didn’t say that. I said she’s out of the loop. I’m actually planning on fixing that tonight.”

Coco raised an eyebrow, and since that was lost on Fox she added, “Oh? How so?”

“Well we’re finally done with setting up the Chillaxing Zone, you know in the other pompous and extravagant bungalow in the compound?”

“Please tell me you folks aren’t actually calling it that.”

“Geez, of course not! We call it the LZ since it’s the place we all want to crash.”

Coco tried to facepalm hard enough so Fox would hear it.

“I honestly don’t know which one is worse.”

“You’re just jealous that you didn’t come up with it first. Plus you shouldn’t be surprised. Have you seen the nicknames we come up with for each other? Because I haven’t and I still know that they’re bad.”

“Did you just … honestly the last time I made a sight-joke you chewed me out for it. And yours wasn’t even good!”

“That’s because it’s okay when I do it, but not when someone else does it. It’s like calling Gadget cute because she’s a bunny faunus, she can say that but we can’t.”

“Gadget being cute has nothing to do with her ears though. Also, I am fairly certain that she’s a hare.”

“Well … fair enough. Still, my point stands. Anyway, we’re going to inaugurate the place properly, and I’m dragging Xiao Long in there so she can get drunk with the squad. I mean, figuratively. We totally did **_not_** smuggle alcoholic beverages onto the compound, ma’am.”

Coco chuckled a bit at that. “Riiiight. Anyway, don’t you worry about the prohibition for tonight, Sergeant. I believe the country will survive a few hungover soldiers. Not that I would be able to enforce the rules anyway, some of us don’t have the leisure to relax while there are reports to go through.”

Fox's face dropped a bit at that. For a second there, the light-hearted conversation they just shared took him back to their days in Beacon. How the four of them would joke around, not taking anything too serious, well until it was time to _get_ serious, of course. Times like these almost made him believe that somewhere under those layers of military bravado and rank his old leader was still smiling at some of his antics. That there was yet some Coco in Shades. But, like now, it never lasted long. “Reports? Like, battle reports?”

Coco sighed deeply. “ _Battle_ is a strong word. If I hadn’t been on Patch myself, I’d call you crazy for suggesting there’s a war going on. Most of this is the usual. Less than the usual actually. The White Fang is suspiciously inactive ever since Atlas attacked. Likely they are waiting for both sides to thin each other out a bit more. Grimm and the normal police work aside all eight battalions are resupplying and repositioning in critical places. Atlas seemed to have overreached, hard.”

“Well, they always struck me as arrogant enough to underestimate us.”

“Apparently so. According to these reports, we don’t know much, but it seems because of their losses they had to give up their supply lines to the Grimm. Which means their army in Patch is essentially stuck there. General Goodwitch has aircraft containing the island so there won’t be any danger coming from there soon. Which also means that our time of rest is over. Officially we were here to respond to attacks from Patch, but now we’ll be needed elsewhere. We’ll get a new batch of recruits to fill our ranks on Monday and then we’ll be expected to resume normal activities. Well, as normal as they can be. My guess is on boring police work and clearing out Grimm nests that are still active. On that note, how’s Xiao Longs training coming along?”

“You know I expected you to yell at me for not doing that your way.”

“Hey, I’m the first one to admit when I was wrong. So tell me, was I wrong?”

Fox shook his head and chuckled. “Pretty much, yeah. Fortunately, that awful fencing escapade that knocked you off was just a one-time thing. I am working with her on a more kick-heavy, more elusive style. Now that Gadget is back we can modify her gauntlet so it can be used better. You know, since pumping just one arm forward and backward looks stupid beyond comparison. It’ll take a bit longer obviously, but if you need her against common thugs and Grimm, she’ll do more than fine.”

“Good, we should brief her on the equipment soon. Probably have to do that myself since Mouser will be the beast incarnate after he has to deal with a bunch of recruits.”

“That sounds like we got no-one good.”

“Best I got is a farmhand who may or may not have held a shovel before.”

“Peachy. Well, I got to get going then. Party is about to start. You know, if you change your mind and find the time, we’d love to have you there, Shades.”

Coco just smiles tiredly. “I’ll think about it.”

They both knew that was a no.


	11. Fitting In

**Saturday 1930.**  
**Four months and one week after.F.B.**

 

Warm water was running down her body, drenching her long blond hair until her unruly mane was straightened flat. Yang took deliberately deep and slow breaths and turned the valve, shuddering as the colder water hit her. After a few moments, she began to feel warmer again, so she dialed the water temperature to its minimum.

_Stupid! You’re stupid! Stop freaking out Xiao Long! You decided to stay back; you know exactly where everyone is, so just keep it together!_

As her body slowly regulated itself to the cold shower, she felt her anxiety slowly plummeting. She let the water running for a minute or two longer until she shut it off. As she rested her head against the cold tiles of the community shower in the barracks, Yang hit the wall with her fist in frustration. She hated it. She hated that even after all these months she was not over what happened. And most of all the blonde hated when she lost control over her own body. Sure, she had gotten better with it. Like now, she sometimes managed to stop the panic attacks from happening. But not always. This time was not that difficult, since the trigger for it was beyond stupid, at least according to Yang herself. Her body saw that differently though and somehow sent her into a panic spiral after she realized that she was alone in the building.

_They are all going to that party. They did not leave you, idiot. They’ll be back in the morning, and you feel even more stupid than you do now. You could have just asked if you could tag along, but you did not want to intrude, so woman the hell up!_

She started to relax a bit, seemingly having won her fight against herself. Honestly, she should be used to it by now. Actually, she thought she was already. Back in Patch, she thought she was over it, starting to get back on her feet, busing herself with work. She had emotionally removed herself so far that she only ever got panic attacks after waking up from nightmares. But being with people again, comrades, it managed to wear down her emotional barriers, and now she was back to still having attacks. Great. Before she could start pitying herself though, she managed to ultimately fail at hearing someone approach.

“Ah, there you are. Wondered where you holed yourself up, Xiao Long.”

Yang managed to let out an undignified squeak as she whirled around just to turn away again, awkwardly trying to cover herself with one arm.

“Gee Sly, what the hell! Don’t sneak up on me when I’m showering! Also, why are you always appearing out of nowhere and drop some stupid line? I swear it’s like it’s your thing or something.”

Fox stood there with arms crossed before raising a hand and start counting on his fingers. “Well one: You are not showering. The water stopped running quite a while ago, so I thought you were finished. Two: I don’t sneak, I just happen to not move like a freighter as the rest of you are so fond of doing. Three: I apologize for lacking the means to observe when it is an opportune time to make my presence known since, well, I can’t observe. And four: Why do you care that I speak to you in the showers, Xiao Long? Are you afraid I will sneak a peak?”

Fox was smiling brightly after that and Yang, realizing how ridiculous her pose was and that it didn’t even do anything against the blind man, sighed, grabbed her washing items and towel and walked past Fox.

“You know I said I couldn't see; I never said there was no-one behind me.”

Barely managing to stifle another squeak, Yang quickly and awkwardly wrapped herself in her towel and peaked around the corner into the sleeping area. As Fox’ laughter was indication enough, no-one was actually there.

“Not funny, jackass.”

As Yang moved to her bunk, Fox quietly followed her.

“I think it is. Also, you do realize we’re military now, right? No such thing as privacy. So you better get used to all of us knowing exactly how you look naked. Well, sooner or later. I will need to have someone describe it for me in excruciating detail. That or you let me see with my hands. That worked rather well with Shades.”

Halfway through with dressing herself Yang almost put her finger through Fox’ nose.

“If you try that, I’ll replace my arm with one of yours.”

Fox smirked brightly. “Well do try to get my right one, or else it would look kinda awkward.”

Yang just snorted and continued dressing in her tracksuit.

“Honestly though. What are you doing here, Yang? Everyone else is at the opening party.”

“Well, I didn’t want to intrude, since nobody asked me and I figured that I’m still too new for something like that. ‘Sides don’t you think to throw a party just a week after … Patch … is a bit tasteless.”

“It is. But it’s necessary.”

Yang briefly looked at him confused. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Fox sat down on Yang’s bed and looked up at her. “Look, I don’t say that it is fair, nor perfect but the reality is that yes, people are dead, but at the end of the day we can’t change that. We can mourn them all we want, but in the end, they’ll still be dead. But we are not. We are not allowed to be dead, not yet anyway. We have to function; we have to live, we have to be ready, so we have a chance to prevent more people from dying. And to be able to function we need to let things be in the past and worry about ourselves, live for ourselves. And dust, we all need that party after Patch.”

Yang stood silent for a while and let Fox’ words sink in. As crude and hard as they were she could not disagree.

_You saw how Dad shut down after Summer died. How that affected you and Ruby. Hell, you saw what you did after Beacon after they all left you. Left you alone. Again. It only started to get better when you forced yourself not to feel sorry for yourself anymore and push through. This is basically the same, right?_

Yang wiggled herself into her jacket and sighed. “Let’s go then. I hope that party of yours is less depressing than your pep talks.”

 

  
The LZ didn’t look much from the outside. Besides the fact it was a former luxury bungalow of course. It was a bit modified though. Most of the large windows were walled up, most likely to cause whatever passes as a cozy interior these days. The main door was closed, but you could still hear muffled music and voices from inside. As they approached the entrance, Fox over-dramatically opened the door for her. He even did a small bow. Yang just rolled her eyes and stepped in.

The inside looked much different. The whole interior was one giant room. Walls had been removed to make more space for the essential things in life. Which included but were not limited to: A pool table, some arcades, a big TV with an overcompensating sound system, several couches and beanbags and most importantly a big, well-equipped bar. The walls and the ceiling were painted in a multitude of colors and motives. The most prominent open wall space showed what looked suspiciously like cartoon versions of the battalion members with a significant stylised text reading ‘Caffeine Addicts’. The whole place was dimly lit with the occasional colored spotlight moving around. Soldiers were sprawled all around the room, talking in small groups. Yang could see Mouser manning the bar, Butch and Hacks playing pool and Grinder, Doc and Bonkers sitting at a table with a growing stack of Lien and a set of cards. Coco was nowhere in sight, but Yang managed to spot Velvet sitting relatively alone at the bar playing with a drink. There was also a woman Yang did not know, but before Yang could ask Fox about her, she had already spotted the two and made her way over.

“Uh! Slyyyyy, you made it. And here I thought you ditched us to spent some quality time with Shades!”

“If only. Sadly, I have to entertain myself with you lot today.”

“Well, her loss. And this must be the new blood! Hey, there I’m Lieuten … hey!”

Something hit the woman in the back of her head, and as she whirled around, Yang had to dodge a massive bushy tail. The tail, much like the shoulder-long hair was of a gray-brownish color´and identified the woman as a faunus. Yang was not sure what kind though. Maybe a chipmunk? Or a squirrel? Figuring it might be rude to ask bluntly, Yang settled for observing the woman who was busy accusingly waving around a wet towel.

“What the hell, Mouser?”

“No ranks! Didn’t you see the sign?”

“I did see the sign, but I told you a dozen times, that it looks like shit! And if it looks like shit, then the stuff written on it is most likely equally shit, so I didn’t bother to read it!” After that little outburst, she whirled around again and gave Yang one of the brightest smiles she’d ever seen. “Aaaaaanyway. I’m Brush. Who are you?”

The attitude, cheery tone and Fox' chuckles indicated to Yang that she was in over her head. “Uhm hi, I’m Yang. Yang Xiao Long, nice to meet you.”

Yang offered her hand which the faunus eagerly shook. With both her hands. Oh boy.

“Oh, I heard about you. I mean who hasn’t, but that beside the point. More importantly, Sly how did she manage to dodge you lot’s silly nickname rule? Y’all told me it’s obligatory!”

Fox just sighed. “We never said that. Also, those aren’t nicknames, and they are not silly. It serves a purpose. And I should not have to explain ourselves to you and your bus driver friends. What do you call your stuff? Call Signals?”

Brush narrowed her eyes and drew dangerously close to Fox’s face. “They’re call signs. Also, what did you just call my baby? I have to let you know that the Vale Aerotec VTOL Mark III ‘Bullhead’ is not some pre-historic street vehicle! It’s an expertly designed, slick piece of engineering art!”

“It transports people. Therefore, it’s a bus.”

“You know what? I am done talking to you. You move your unappreciative arse to the bar while Yang and I hang out with the lads. Because I hear you kept her from socializing with the rest of us because of some silly personal training. We all know what that means, Sly, you got a reputation, and I won’t let her get corrupted by you.”

With that Brush slipped in between Yang and Fox but not without purposely sweeping her tail into Fox’s face. She snaked a hand around Yang’s waist and smiled at her again. Yang smiled back and was surprised how easy it had come to her. She had the suspicion it was because the faunus had settled into Yang’s right side and didn’t seem at all bothered or hesitant by her missing arm.

“Whatever Brush. Just call for help if you need it, Yang. And trust me, you will need it.”

Judging by Fox’s grin Yang was sure that he knew that Brush flipped him off after that.

“So girl, tell me, you’re settling in alright? The lads haven’t given you any trouble yet?”

Yang shook her head as the both of them slowly made their way towards the pool table. Yang did not expect to be separated from Fox so soon, and she thought it would be a bigger deal since besides Coco he was about the only one she had much contact with over the last week. But surprisingly she felt somewhat okay with being basically kidnapped by Brush. Something about her pleasant attitude put Yang at ease. A booming voice ripped her out of her thoughts.

“What?? That’s the fifth time! How are you doing that? That must be cheating!”

Yang focused her attention on the table and saw a bulky man gesturing wildly at a small, slender woman. The man had black hair with a military-short cut. He was also a faunus if the short tusks in his mouth were any indication. Most likely a boar faunus then. The woman had very dark green hair, most likely dyed, and dark skin. She had her hair braided and long enough to reach below her shoulder blades.

“What did you expect, Butch? You challenged a sniper! In a game about angles! Plus you lot didn’t call me Hacks for nothing. It looks like I am cheating ‘cause I am so much better than the rest of you slackers.”

Butch looked like he was about to blow a gasket but Brush expertly swooped in. And that meant dragging Yang with her, of course.

“Don’t tell me you lost again, Butch? But you took a game of her this time, didn’t you?”

Butch snorted and crossed his arms. “I didn’t.”

Brush looked shocked. “Whaaat? But I really thought you get her at least once this time. Darn it.” Brush reached into her pocket and pulled out some Lien to hand to a smirking Hacks. Butch did notice that and raised an eyebrow.

“You bet that I would beat her?” Brush nodded with a smile. “Got that much confidence in me, huh? Don’t worry pretty lady, next time I whoop her butt for you.”

He sounded so confident with that, Hacks and Brush had to laugh. Even Yang could not help but giggle a bit.

“Anyway, where are my manners, you two know Yang right? Yang, the handsome boar over here, is Butch and this goddess of skill is Hacks.”

“Goddess? Now you’re laying it on thick, Brush. Not that I am disagreeing, but it pays to be humble from time to time.” Hacks shook Yangs offered hand with a smile.

“I mean yeah we know who she is. It’s not like we haven’t seen her around.”

“I know Butch, but it so much more exciting to introduce someone the proper way, don’t you think?” Butch just shrugged at Brush’s enthusiasm but shook Yang's hand nonetheless. Hacks offered her a smile.

“It’s fine. We hadn’t had the chance to slow down and really talk to each other yet. Couldn’t have been easy after Patch.” Yang saw Hacks’ smile falter a bit. “Listen, I’m sorry about Taiyang. We all are. He did tag along with us a few times, and he was a great man. I wished we would have been able to keep up with him; maybe things would have turned out differently then.”

Yang managed a weak smile. “Thank you, that’s very kind. I wished I wouldn’t have been that useless that day either.”

Yang felt a big hand resting on her shoulder and looked up into Butch’s eyes. “Don’t blame yourself for that. Big O wouldn’t have had it any other way, no matter who would have been in your place. It is what it is. You just got to make the most of it, and he’ll be happy.”

“Thanks.” Yang nodded with a smile as she felt Butch squeeze her shoulder for a second before pulling his hand away. Brush smiled at her before addressing the others.

“Well, we didn’t want to interrupt your game. The night is young, and Yang here needs to make the rounds. Later!”

With that Yang was forced towards the bar, though in the friendliest way possible with a faunus pressed on her side and a bushy tail tickling her back. At the bar, Fox was chatting with Mouser, who was cleaning glasses. The Major looked like he had handled a bar a thousand times before, which if Yang remembered his background correctly might actually be the case.

“What can I give you ladies?”

“Uh, make me a Giggly Rose! You know how to do that, aye?”

If Yang did not know any better, she would say that Mouser looked actually offended by that.

“What do you think I am, Brush? Some kind of amateur? White wine, lemon juice, three shots of gin, rose syrup with petals and mint. What about you Yang?”

“Water, please.”

Now Mouser was actually offended. He practically froze and stared at Yang.

“Fine … Strawberry Sunrise, no ice. And one of those little umbrellas. Also shouldn’t you ask me if I am even old enough to drink?”

“They ask you to fight a war for them. In my book, that makes you old enough for anything. Besides, I’d hardly call that a drink.”

As Mouser went to work mixing their cocktails, Yang noticed Velvet staring at her. The rabbit faunus had a finger slowly circling her whiskey glass, and her head was resting on a hand.

“Hey, Gadget, I didn’t get the chance to talk to you yet …”

“Why is she even here?”

Yang was taken aback by the sheer hostility in Velvet’s voice. And by the reactions of everyone else, she was not the only one. Except for the three playing their card game, who seem to be oblivious to everything else going on.

“I mean, this is supposed to be an officers thing right? Seems I didn’t get the memo that we let the newbies in as well.”

Yang looked to the ground. She suddenly did not really want to be here anymore.

“I … I’m sorry I didn’t know that. Sly asked me to come. But I can go if I don’t belong here.”

“Pfft, as if that has stopped you so far. Do whatever you want but stay out of my way.”

With that Velvet grabbed her glass of whiskey before retreating to the far corner.

Yang felt very uncomfortable in the following silence. Even Brush did not know how to respond to that other than pressing herself a bit tighter to Yang. In the end, it was Fox who spoke first.

“How many did she have, Mouser?”

“Five, I think. Came in here and started drinking right away. She hasn’t talked to you since she came back from the hospital, has she?”

“No. No, she hasn’t. But Shades has, and Gadget tore her a new one as well. I guess she’s far from being okay.

“Yeah. I guess she just needs more time.”

Yang slowly started to pull away from Brush with the intention of leaving but the faunus held her back.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“Back to my bunk. I didn’t want to intrude or bother you all.”

“Nuh-huh. You stop that girl. I don’t know what got Gadget's gears rattled but you ain’t gonna take the fall for it. And I don’t wanna hear nothin’ about that officer non-sense. Because from what I hear you folks got history and that’s reason enough for you to be here. End of discussion.”

Mouser nodded and put her Strawberry Sunrise in front of her.

“Exactly, listen to the bus driver. Heck, we even let her in, even though she hangs with a whole different crowd.”

“Hey! I might be Air Force, but I am still assigned to ship you army folks around. ‘Sides I’m the one who did the interior design of this club thing here, so I got privileges!”

“Yeah yeah, no need to bust your nuts, Brush. Anyway, Yang, relax. Gadget doesn’t mean it. She just had a bit too much to drink, and she’s still hurting. You’re one of us now, remember?”

That did manage to cheer Yang up a bit, and she offered a weak smile before taking a sip from her Sunrise.

“Thanks. And wow, Mouser, that one is excellent!”

“What can I say, I am the man.”

“Well, Half-Man considering your size.” Fox butted into the conversation.

“And just for that, you’ll skip the next round.”

“I feel harassed! There is some clear racism at work here!”

That outburst earned Fox a few laughs, but Mouser didn’t fail to notice Yang being a bit uncomfortable.

“Something on your mind, Yang?”

“No … actually … Maybe? It’s just … I was wondering something, but I didn’t want to offend somebody since I am new here and still haven’t completely figured out how things work, so …”

“Sweaty, you’re rambling. Come on, spill it. We won’t bite.”

Yang returned Brush’s smile. “Well, it’s just … the whole thing with the names. Calling you Brush and well, Mouser … isn’t that a bit … racist?”

“Thank you!” Mouser exclaimed while slapping his cleaning cloth onto the bar. “I am finally not the only one who noticed that!”

The others who were listening did not really seem to react all that much to Mousers answer so Yang decided to prod a bit more.

“Well, if you think it’s racist too, why do you all keep using them?”

“Oh, I don’t think it’s racist. In fact, I know it isn’t, I am just excited that I am not the only one who noticed it.”

“Wait, you mean no-one noticed it before?” Yang was now thoroughly confused.

“Like hell they did. When Shades started the whole new name thing, and she started calling me Mouser I was actually appalled that she would even suggest that. But the funny thing was: she, for all what’s holy, couldn’t understand why I was upset. So I explained that to her, and she looked at me as if I switched to a foreign language or something. She said she didn’t even think about my mouse ears but instead meant it as a reference to me being a former street rat. And with Brush, she thought it fit because our squirrel here is an artist. The paintings on the walls here that is all her. So Shades thought Brush would sound nice because she paints, nothing to do with her tail. And the funny thing is, as I looked around all the others they seemed to be equally surprised why I made the connection. Therefore I believed them. Not being judged or treated differently because I am a faunus was new to me but dust it did feel good. That’s why we don’t see the names as racist. Well, that’s why I don’t. Brush, bless her soul, didn’t make the connection either.”

“Hey, what can I say? I’m an excellent judge of character and knew right away that they’re all chill. Also, you should here my actual call sign, that’s way worse.”

“Yeah, yeah whatever. Surprised you noticed that, Yang. Never pecked Patch for a place with modern views.”

“Actually, I had a teammate in Beacon who was very … involved in these sort of things. So I tend to be more aware I guess.”

“Well, no need to worry about here. The only question here is not if you’re human or faunus but if you’re a joker or an asshole. Well, or Sly I guess. He doesn’t fit in either one. So he’s just an ass in general.”

Everyone had a chuckle at that, and even Yang joined in this time. And who knows, the night was still young, and there was plenty of time for her to relax. Besides, what was the worst that could happen?


	12. The Worst That Could Happen

**Saturday 2140.**  
**Four months and one week after F.B.**

 

A bit later on the same evening, things had settled down a bit. Most of the battalion was sprawled around the big couch area. Even the card players had seemingly lost interest in their game and had joined the round. Either that or Grinder and Doc had no more Lien for Bonkers to win. Yang was sitting in the middle of the biggest couch, not by choice though. She quickly came to realize that choice was something evidently missing when around Brush. The overeager faunus had essentially shoved Yang right into the center of attention. That was alright, the blonde supposed. She was the new one after all. Everyone was more or less engaged in conversations, except for Velvet who was sitting in the only armchair, entertaining her drink.  
As the conversations went dry for a bit Yang dove in with a question, she had in her head for a while.

“So … how did the rest of you come up with your new names?”

Having heard Mouser explain his and Brush’s earlier, she was curious about the rest of the 7th.

“Well, you are clearly directing this question to my fellow comrades in arms here, since you surely know how I got mine.”

Yang turned her attention to the speaker. Grinder was rather young looking, in his early twenties at most, even though his meticulously trimmed mustache was clearly trying, and failing, to make him look older. He was flaxen-haired with clearly above average looks. And unfortunately, he seemed to know it. Everyone else was just rolling their eyes, Hacks even going so far as to let out an amused ‘Here we go again'. Of course, none of that actually helped Yang who was oblivious to how the guy got his name.

“Actually … I have no idea. Should I?”

Grinder looked honestly shocked as everyone else burst into laughter.

“But Yang … you wound me. A young woman like you clearly must have heard of the one and only Grinder! I am quite famous in my particular scene if I do say so myself.”

“Yeah, and you have to say so yourself cause no-one else does.” Hacks managed to squeeze that jab out between laughs and earned clinking glasses with Mouser for her effort. Yang just tilted her head and gave Grinder another look over, but she could not place the guy anywhere.

“Sorry. Never heard of you.”

Grinder just sank into the couch he was sharing with Butch, looking utterly defeated. Yang was feeling sorry for the guy and was about to say something before Bonkers interjected.

“Oh shush you drama queen. Just because you got to stream over the CCT for like two hundred people at max and won some tournaments against fourteen-year-old kids doesn’t mean you’re a star, man. He’s a pro gamer, Yang. Grinder’s just his gamer tag, and he insisted on keeping it to, and I quote, ‘protect his brand’.”

Grinder perked up at that. “Brand awareness is everything. Everything!”

As Grinder fell into a passionate rant about the importance of nurturing one's brand and fame, seemingly oblivious to the fact that nobody was listening to him, Yang turned to Bonkers. She remembered Coco telling her that the guy had spent the last years in a mental ward and she did not know what she expected after hearing that, but it was undoubtedly not what she got. For all intents and purposes, Bonkers was … normal. And not normal in comparison to a room full of soldiers, just normal. If she had encountered him in the street, she would have forgotten him two steps later. Or one step later probably. He was of average height with an average looking hair cut, brown hair, brown eyes and the most outstanding recognizable feature he had were that he had no identifiable features. At all. Even his voice and way of talking was boringly uninteresting.

“And what about you, Bonkers? Where does yours come from?”

“Well, that should be rather obvious. I am, per definition of the Vale medical faculty, insane. So the name came with the territory.” He offered Yang a sincere smile, and the Brawler suspected that he was used to reactions like hers. “You’re wondering why people think I am nuts.”

“Well … I … yes, but I didn’t want to be rude … “

Bonkers just dismissively waved at her. “Don’t worry about it. I get it all the time. Besides I love to tell people about it because quite frankly I like the validation it gives me.” He smiles brightly at Yang. “In essence, I was under the belief that there is a great threat out there that can control Grimm and is trying to use mythical artifacts and magic right out of old fairy tales to overthrow the hunter academies because they were hiding things from the public and even the government. Sounds familiar?”

Yang stared at him for a second.

“Wait, you’re telling me that they declared you insane because you were too close to the truth?”

He just laughed at that. “Oh no. I am telling you that I was close to the truth. I was declared insane by my lawyers to prevent me from spending my life in prison after I tried to prove my views by blowing a hole into Beacon Tower.”

Yang’s eyes went wide, and everyone chuckled at that. Brush silently bumped into her right side in an attempt to get her out of her initial shock.

“Worry unnecessary. Bonkers mental state nominal. Methods questionable. Presenting no danger to fellow comrades. Exception Card Games. Cheating highly likely.” Recognizable by his unusual way of speaking, Doc joined the conversation. He had short, graying hair and a black horn-rimmed glasses. Even though he was clearly the oldest of the group and the designated doctor, he was as well muscled as everyone else. Except for Butch, of course, that faunus was a tank. “For Clarification. Designation ‘Doc’ obvious by occupation. Leadership lacking creativity.”

“Hey!” From Yang’s left Mouser seemed to take offense to that statement. “I assume you mean Shades by that!”

“Positive. Risking alcohol access not worth objecting.”

“You know it.” Mouser smiled smugly. “You see, Yang, nobody here is really creative with the names. But we still got it better than Sly and Gadget. I mean Shades came up with all the names for her team and look how bad they are: Sly just because his name’s Fox and Gadget since she’s our tech gal. Shades because of those damn glasses of hers and Big O just means Big One, ‘cause you know he was so tall.”

Yang did not miss the twitch that went through Velvet as she heard Mouser mention Yatsuhashi. The rabbit faunus immediately took a long sip after that. Fox seemed to watch Velvet as well, or whatever his equivalent to that was, but only for a moment before he addressed Mouser.

“Keep on believing that those are the meanings of the names. Spares us all some embarrassment.” Before Mouser could ask what exactly Fox was getting at, the blind man pointed his finger directly at Yang. “Right now, however, the most important is to figure out what _your_ name shall be, Xiao Long.”

Yang suddenly felt the eyes of everyone on her as everybody starts murmuring and discussion amongst themselves. Yang started to feel uncomfortable, but before anyone could say anything, a short, mocking laugh echoed through the room.

“Why bother? She’s a waste of time anyway.”

The room went abruptly silent as Velvet spoke, getting everyone's attention. The faunus kept quiet since her earlier outburst, and although she had been drinking all evening, her voice seemed clear. Her brown eyes drilled themselves into Yang, and there was no doubt that Velvet meant what she said.

“Gadget …”

“Shut it, Sly. I am sick of sitting here, with her, pretending nothing happened in Patch.”

Fox tried again. “What happened in Patch was not her fault …”

Velvet was having none of that. Without losing eye contact with Yang, she interrupted Fox. “Oh but it was, and you know it, don’t you, Xiao Long. Yes, you didn’t kill him directly, but you killed him none the less. All because you’re useless. Beacon broke you. I mean look at yourself. I watched you train with Sly. It’s honestly quite pathetic.”

The pure venom in Velvet’s voice hit Yang hard. She broke eye contact and looked down at her stump. Her whole body started shaking.

_She’s right …. She’s right …. So right …._

Mouser and Fox both stood at the same time, glaring at Velvet. Yang felt someone, probably Brush, hug her gently from the side as if to protect her. Velvet herself was on her feet now too, her eyes not leaving Yang as she addressed the others.

“Just look at that! Shaking like a leaf! And Brush has to protect her like she’s her mother. We’re soldiers! This is a war! How can you let someone in who can’t even protect you? Who is so weak that you all have to protect _her_! She’s a liability, who will get us all killed like she got Yatsu killed!” Velvet had made her way to Yang’s couch. She was practically looming over her and Brush now. “I mean just look at her arm, or rather lack thereof. It’s clear she can’t even protect herself!”

“That’s enough, Sergeant!”

Velvet broke eye contact with Yang as Mouser’s voice boomed through the building. She had to look down at the small mouse faunus, who now stood between Yang and herself.

“And here I thought we aren’t allowed to use rank, _sir_.”

Mouser did not seem amused one bit, in fact, nobody else seemed to be, as the silence between the two stretched on. Even the sound system in the background decided to switch to a foreboding tune.

“You’re out of line. I suggest you leave the Private alone and wait for me outside.” His tone made it clear that this was less a suggestion and more so an actual order. Velvet just shrugged and emptied her glass.

“Fine by me. Wasn’t in a party mood anyway.” She set her glass down with more force than necessary and walked out the entrance without another word.

Mouser watched the exit for a few heartbeats before slowly exhaling and turning his attention to Yang. “Are you alright, Yang?”

Yang did not answer. She was too busy struggling to keep herself from grumbling.

_Get a grip, keep it together! Yes, she’s right, but you’re here to change that. Remember what Coco said, you can be useful, you WILL be useful. Don’t give in now or you’ll prove her point! You’re better than that. They all want you here, they showed as much tonight, but you can’t hide behind them. Prove her wrong. Prove her WRONG! You NEED to be right!_

Mouser held his gaze on Yang for a few moments, as she was still shivering in Brush’s arms.

“Right. That looks like a no. Brush, stay with her. Doc, see if you can do something. I fear Gadget might have triggered some lingering trauma. I’ll go and talk to ….” He stopped as he felt a hand gripping his arm. He looked around to see Yang being the one who halted him.

“I’ll talk to her.”

Yang’s voice came out as barely more than a whisper, but there was no doubt that everyone had heard her.

“I am not sure if that is …”

“No, Major. Sir. The Sergeant got a problem with me and me alone. So I should be the one to fix it. If you tell her to stop, it’ll be just an order. It won’t change anything. I need to be the one to do it. I got to fix this.”

Yang looked up at Mouser. Lilac eyes filled with determination locked with Mousers skeptical gray ones. A few moments later Mouser nodded and stepped aside.

 

  
Velvet was leaning against the side of the bungalow, next to the door. Arms crossed, one foot angled against the wall, back flat on the wooden surface. She had half a mind just to stomp off and call it a night. A rather crappy night, but the prospect of an even worse morning with Mouser and Coco throwing tantrums kept her waiting to get an earful from the Major. Even though she was not particularly looling forward to it.

_Shouldn’t have gotten drunk you fool. Wait, scratch that, should have gotten more drunk. I’m not at a stage where I could have used alcohol as an excuse. Still, I could have been smarter about it. Facts or not, now I triggered some bullshit pity party, and I can’t win against that. Whatever, let’s just get this over with._

When she heard the door open, Velvet did not even wait for the arrival to come out and speak.

“Let’s spare us the lecture and just skip to the part where you tell me what that stunt will cost me so we can both do something pleasant with the rest of this evening, Mouser.”

“Well, I don’t know if this will be pleasant, but it won’t be a lecture at least.”

Velvet whirled around fast, getting herself into a more defensive position. She narrowed her eyes at Yang, ready for any move from the blonde. But nothing like that happened. Yang was just standing there, a few feet away and in a seemingly relaxed pose. She was staring back at Velvet, not at all timid and weak as before, but not aggressive either. Just starring back, waiting.

“Whatever,” Velvet snorted, “I don’t need this.”

As she turned and started to walk away, Velvet was stopped by a response she did not expect.

“You’re right about me, you know? Beacon broke me. I am about as useless as the old Vale police. And because of that, I killed Yatsu.”

Velvet’s hand curled into fists. She turned towards Yang angrily.

“Don’t you dare talk about him! You have no right ….”

“Yes, I don’t have the right. And no, I’ve got _every_ right. I have no right because I failed him. And he’s not the only one I failed. I failed my dad and my dog who died because I was stuck at home, wallowing in my pain. I failed my sister, twice, first because I could not go with her since I was hugging my bed. And the second time back at Beacon because I got manipulated enough to snap at a defenseless fighter, so I was confined to my room and not there for her when the attack happened. I failed the rest of my team and everyone else, including you and Yatsu, that day because of the same reason. So yes, I don’t have the right. Then again, I do have the right because I am trying to own those failures. I can never make them right, but I can try to better myself because of them, be useful again, for everyone else. That’s why I am here. That’s why I’ve accepted Coco’s offer. I don’t want to repeat these failures.”

Velvet huffed unimpressed. “Nice speech. Then again, it’s easy to say you won’t repeat failures because if you would, you’d need someone to spoon feed you.” She mockingly wiggled her right arm, as if it was necessary to elaborate what she meant.

“You’re wrong. Maybe not about me being able to not repeat my failures. But you’re wrong about the arm. That was not a failure. It was the only thing I know that I did right.”

Velvet could not help but laugh at that. “Are you serious? You’re telling me you wanted to lose that arm, is that it?”

“Of course not.” Yang’s voice was steady; it annoyed Velvet a bit that her words did not have the desired effect. She wanted that girl to feel her pain. “There’s not been a day where I hadn’t wished it didn’t happen. That I could just have my arm back. But I never regretted it. You were right back there that I could not protect myself when I lost my arm. But it was not because I am a failure, it was because the other option was unacceptable.”

“Riiight and what would that had been? Getting your hair entangled?”

“Blake dying.”

Velvet was taken aback by that. Her mocking grin fell off her face almost instantly. It was not even the substance of that statement but the way Yang delivered it. The weight behind those two words was somehow more than apparent to Velvet. Everything about Yang changed with those words, her voice became low and weak, her shoulders slumped a bit, and it was painfully obvious to see that she had trouble maintaining eye contact with the faunus. The tone of the conversation suddenly became very different because of it and Velvet, for all her intents and reasons to do so, had trouble maintaining her hateful attitude.

“It was after you, and the others took down those paladins, and the Atlas robots had shut down. I caught up with all of you in the courtyard and asked Weiss where Blake was, remember?” Velvet could do nothing more than nod to that, momentarily enticed by the story. “I found her in the cafeteria. Or rather, I heard her anguished scream. As I looked over, I saw … him. His sword was rammed into Blake’s stomach … I had to get him away from her … stop him from attacking again … anything. So I threw myself at him, with everything I got. It was a dumb move; I knew that my aura was low from all the fighting I had to do even to get there. But I didn’t care. I had to stop him from hurting her.”

Yang fell silent; her left hand clasped around the stump of her arm. Velvet remained quiet as well; she had not expected to deal with something like that today.

“He was hurting the woman I … well … I guess I did love her back then. I doubt I knew it at the time, not really, but it was rather obvious since then. So I saw red. I flared my semblance as much as I could, screamed, charged with a full blast … I guess I tried to get his attention? So he would stop hurting her? Or maybe I was just not thinking at all; I don’t know. It didn’t matter anyway. He cut through my arm like it was nothing, and everything went black. Then I woke up in a hospital and my arm was gone. Weiss was there … at least for a while until her father arrived. I asked her what happened to Blake. Blake wasn’t there, so I thought I failed. That the guy wiped me out and then killed her. That I failed. But Weiss told me she saw her, that Blake got me out of there and to safety. And that she’s fine.”

“Why wasn’t she there with you?” Velvet’s tone was neutral, almost emotionless. Yang took a few seconds to answer.

“Sun told us that Blake ran. Got herself patched up a bit and took off. No one knew why.”

“She just … abandoned you? After you lost your arm for her?”

Yang visibly bit her lip and Velvet could have sworn that she saw the blond girl start to shake briefly.

“It doesn’t matter … not anymore. I just wanted to tell you … honestly, I don’t really know what I wanted to tell you. I guess I just want you to know that I don’t walk around here as if nothing happened. I know what happened. And I know what I did. Where I failed. I wanted to sit in my bedroom until I am old and gray but my dad and the village didn’t let me … and now they’re dead. I don’t know if Coco felt the same about me or if it was pity or guilt for beating me up … but she gave me another chance. This chance. And I want to make the most of it. And I know you’re in pain. And angry. But I hope you could give me a chance to prove that I want to own up to what happened. And if I blow it … well, then you were truly right and can hate me. I hate myself already so yeah, two is company?”

Velvet stood silent for a while. There was a lot of turmoil in her. The last days she was so convinced that Yang was the reason for all her pain, that her anger clung to that thought. But now … she could not do it anymore. She did not really know why. It was sad what happened to Yang but so what? She had her fair share of sadness and pain too! Besides Yang could be lying. Still, Velvet could not keep her anger up. Could not hold on to the one thing that kept her going again.

_Damnit! What is wrong with me! She’s right there! She’s responsible for all of it! She’s the reason! I have to hate her! I NEED to hate her! … WHY can’t I hate her … I don’t understand. I … urgh! Fuck all of it!_

“Urgh! I need a drink. Come on Xiao Long; I’m buying.”

Yang blinked twice in confusion as Velvet walked past her towards the entrance to the LZ. She was not sure what exactly this turn of events meant, and her mouth blurted out the first thing that came to her head. “I thought we didn’t need to pay for the drinks?”

Velvet just laughed at that and looked over her shoulder. “You’re a bigger fool than I thought if you think that Mouser and the rest won’t make me pay for my outburst earlier. No, come on, or I’ll start without you.”

Yang nodded and hurried after Velvet. With all that happened today, drinks _did_ sound like a marvelous idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So ... the story got over 600 Hits now.
> 
> I didn't really know what to expect when I posted the first chapters but I am glad and humbled that you folks actually stick around and like the story.
> 
> I can't thank you enough for that. 
> 
> Writing is a lot of fun and it gets so much better when you know that people do like what you cook up.
> 
>  
> 
> P.S: I got told that I should enable anonymous commenting, so there you go let me know what you think about the story so far.


	13. Regrets

**Sunday 0720.**  
**Four months and one week after F.B.**

 

The next morning, Velvet was sitting alone at a table in the barracks cafeteria. That is if being hunched over the table, hands pressing her rabbit ears flat into her hair and permanently groaning counted as ‘sitting’. It was safe to say Velvet had a few drinks too many the night before. It was her own fault, of course. Her original plan was to get back in the LZ with Yang, offer Yang a drink as a courtesy for opening up to her and maybe wash down her own conflicting thoughts. Simple in theory, simply stupid in reality.

_Urgh … how could I be so naive not to think Mouser would take Yang and me coming back together as an obvious reconciliation. I just wanted to buy time to think about it. But naturally, Brush took our return as a reason to celebrate … as if she ever needed a reason to declare a celebration. So everyone was just hurdling around like we had won something … so much for giving me a chance to have a talk with Yang over a drink. Maybe talk, that is. Who am I kidding? Even now I don’t actually know what to think. Pretty sure I had nothing to say about it yesterday, too._

As she let go of her ears to half-heartedly poke at her food, the faunus tried to gather her thoughts. In a word she was confused. Not about what Yang said, that left a pretty clear picture, but more about her own feelings. But before she could make any sense of it a loud voice called out from literally right behind her.

“You look like shit, Gadget.”

“Mother of ….” Velvet dropped her fork to grab her ears again. The sentence sounded like a cannon barrage in her sensitive, alcohol-abused ears. _I’ll never drink again … probably._ “What the hell? Not so loud! You know well enough how much I had to drr…,” Velvet’s eyes widened comically, and she stumbled over her own words as she turned around mid-sentence just to find herself looking into Coco’s eyes peering quizzically over her shades. “… rrr-ahhhw last night.”

“Draw?” Coco raised an eyebrow at that.

“Yeah, draw. Ahem, ma’am. You know, sketches … for blueprints. Yeah, blueprints for … stuff. Ma’am.” _Great job, Velvet. Just tell her directly that you’re lying, why don’t you?_

Somewhere during Velvet’s stumbling Coco had raised the second eyebrow. “Sketches for blueprints for stuff? Isn’t a sketch and a blueprint the same thing?”

“Ahem, no sir, I mean ma’am. A sketch is, well, a sketch and blueprints are much more … precise?”

“Right. And you’re making blueprints for _stuff_?”

Velvet actually started to sweat a bit. Something about getting caught by Coco, after she drank too much on a supposedly alcohol-free party, made her nervous. Well, ‘something’ could easily be definable as ‘getting chewed out by her commanding officer for drinking on duty’ but then again it was Coco. Coco, who spent half of her free time in Beacon breaking some rule about underage drinking, curfew hours or school uniform dressing code and subsequently passed the other half in detention. No, it was probably because Coco heard about her lashing out at Yang. Also, there was the whole situation of making Coco cry the other day. Something they had not talked about, even though Velvet felt like an ass because of it. Coco had always been there for her and lashing out like that was not fair. Technically so was lying, but right now she was so deep in, she had to play it out.

“Well not _stuff_ -stuff, ma’am. Modifications for … weapons. Yes, weapons.”

“Ah-huh.” Coco seemed unconvinced by that and Velvet started to feel like a deer trapped in the headlights. “I see. Well, while you are at it you should talk to Sly. He had some thoughts about modifying Xiao Long’s gauntlet.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll get right to that.”

“After you’re finished with the other _stuff_ , I presume?”

“Ahem, right. Yes, directly after that.” Velvet swallowed as Coco held her gaze for a second before slipping her shades back up and turning on her heels. Velvet let out a deep breath after she thought Coco was far enough away. _How did that work? That should not have worked._ An undignified squeak escaped her after what felt like a second later as the chair opposite of her was drawn from the table, and Coco plopped down. Her leader took off her sunglasses and placed them in front of her newly acquired cup of coffee. As chocolate brown eyes rested on Velvet, she let out a small pained laugh. _So it didn’t work. Yeah, that makes more sense._

“So, how was the talk with Yang?” Coco started to almost casually stir her coffee while keeping her eyes locked with Velvet.

Velvet sighed deeply. “How did you even know about that?”

Coco shrugged nonchalantly. “Worked late, saw you two talking outside the LZ from my office.”

Velvet grunted. _Of course, she saw. Whose brilliant idea was it to open a bar near the commanding officer’s workspace?_ “Yeah well, I guess it went okay, all things considering.”

“Things like …?”

“Me blaming her for Yatsu’s death. Me thinking she is useless. Me claiming she’ll get us all killed. Me saying she can’t even protect herself, let alone us. Or me telling her all of that to her face in front of everyone. Take a pick.”

Coco did not take a pick. In fact, she did not say much at all. Instead, she took a sip from her coffee, studying Velvet the whole time.

“So you talked it out?”

“I wouldn’t really call it a talk.” Velvet broke eye contact and looked around the cafeteria. It was almost empty at this time. “I was an ass, so mostly it was her doing the talking. Essentially she told me I was right and that she’s trying to be better. I didn’t buy it, so she talked about what happened to her at Beacon. What happened with Blake. So yeah, I felt like an even bigger ass after that, as you can imagine. You know, you could have told me all of that sooner. Then I might not have antagonized her like that.”

“I couldn’t, actually.”

Velvet huffed. “And why is that? Wanted me to figure it out myself? Get some self-healing going?”

“No, because Yang never told me about what happened to her.”

“What?” Velvet looked at Coco in surprise. “What do you mean, Shades? Surely she talked about it with you or Sly?”

Coco shook her head. “She hasn’t. I knew Yang thought herself as useless and a burden. She told me as much, so I’m not surprised that she’d agree with you. But she never told me about what happened with her arm, or at Beacon. And she certainly didn’t talk about Blake. I tried to talk about her once, and Yang shut me down immediately. I could see that she was clearly hurt, and I wagered it might be the actual reason what caused her to shut down, but I knew she wouldn’t answer me, so I didn’t ask. As far as I know, she hadn’t talked about that with anyone. Well, except you, of course. ”

Velvet took a moment to consider that. Velvet knew what Yang had told her yesterday could have been hard for the blonde to share. But she at least thought it was something Yang told other people before. Or maybe Yang had, and she was just overthinking this. The brawler was here for about a week, and she was never that close to Team CFVY anyway, so why would she even share her pain. Then again, of all the people she could have told it to, she chose Velvet, the one that seemingly hated her.

_She really poured her heart out yesterday. And for what? Just to convince me I was wrong about her? No, she said I was right, and I think she believes it. She wasn’t even fazed by my words or tried to argue. Like I was just confirming something she already knew. Wait … but that would mean … Oh._

“She really thinks she’s responsible, doesn’t she? For Yatsu, for Ruby, for Weiss, for Blake. Even for me. For everyone. She really thinks it is all her fault because she’s useless. That we couldn’t count on her. And when we did, she let us down. Is that it? Is that why she was so calm as I threw all the guilt on her? Because she herself thinks she’s responsible for my suffering, so she has to shoulder all of it? How can she think that?”

“Isn’t that exactly what you thought? That she was responsible for Yatsu’s death?”

Velvet glared at Coco. “ _Yes_ , I did think that. But I blamed her for being useless in Patch. I get the feeling she thinks herself responsible for everything. That _everything_ went to shit because she got tricked at the tournament. That because she wasn’t with the rest of her team, everything bad that happened was because of her. That if she hadn’t messed up, none of what happened at Beacon would have gone down. And that’s just … just stupid!”

“Grief causes us to do stupid things. And when you isolate yourself long enough you think of ways to put the blame on people who don’t necessarily deserve it. Sounds familiar?”

Velvet lets her head fall into her hands. “Urgh, you just had to turn this one around on me. Look, I get it. I messed up. Bad. I shouldn’t have blamed her. Especially not now since I know she _wants_ me to blame her. This sucks. We need to find a way to make her stop blaming herself.”

Coco took another sip of her coffee. “Does that mean you don’t blame her for Yatsu’s death anymore?”

Velvet hesitated, but only for a second. “I mean, how can I? I thought he died just because she was a coward who gave up the fight. But now … I don’t know. It seems she was broken long before that. That this is just all fallout of the festival. She might not be the one I should blame. Rather the ones that caused all of this. Caused her to be this … damaged.”

“We’re all damaged, Gadget. We didn’t have enough time to process the festival and the months after. Too much happened too fast. We just have to fix ourselves up along the way.”

“And how do we fix Yang, Coco?”

Coco sighs at that change of tone. “I don’t know if we can fix her, Velv. I’m not even sure that we should. That’s something she must do on her own. Doesn’t mean we can’t help her out a bit though.” Coco stood slowly, reaching for her sunglasses. “And who knows, maybe helping _her_ can help _you_ fix yourself a bit. Might be worth a shot.”

At that Coco turned to walk away. Velvet watched her for a second before she stood herself.

“Coco, wait. About what happened between us on Thursday ….” Velvet broke off as she saw Coco stop. Coco didn’t turn around. Instead, she just put her shades on and answered over her shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it, Sergeant. We all have our moments of weakness from time to time. What matters is that we push on. Besides, you got your own _stuff_ to deal with. Get on that, that’s an order.”

A bit reluctant Velvet returned a salute. “Yes, ma’am.”

As Coco walked away, Velvet sadly looked after her.

_You can’t fool me, Coco. You try to be strong, our leader, but all of this eats away at you. You may try to hide it by being Shades, but I don’t buy it. You’re already hurt, and I hope you’ll let us in before it’s too late. One problem at a time. You’re right about me having my own issues. Can’t help anybody when I can’t help myself. You know what, maybe I should try talking to Yang. At the very least I could try if I can do something with her weapon. Break the ice a bit. And maybe then I get a chance to apologize for me being such a hard-ass towards her._

Having made up her mind, she picked up the rest of her food and started to leave.

_And if that goes well I should convince her to ditch Fox as a trainer. That guy wouldn’t even know a half decent kick if I aimed it at his crotch._

Suddenly in a better mood Velvet couldn’t suppress a smirk as a picture of Fox (in their first year at Beacon), curled up on the ground and protecting his recently violated jewels, popped up from her memory. A fuming Coco was stomping away from him, giving unambiguous instructions where Fox could shove his advances.

_Huh, right. I remember. Maybe he does know how a decent kick feels like._


	14. Sold Out

**Monday 0800.**  
**Four months and two weeks after.F.B.**

 

The armory of the 7th battalion was a large, bulky building next to the sleeping quarters. Guarded by two armored soldiers at each side of the heavily reinforced front door, Yang had kept her distance ever since she arrived. But that was about to change. Earlier today the recruits had arrived and were thrown right into the training regimen without so much time as to drop their bags. And while Mouser was having his fun with his newly found victims, Coco had called Yang to the armory for her gear instruction. Yang wasn’t quite sure why this was happening now instead of giving her time to check out the recruits like the rest of the battalion. But frankly, she was happy with it: the recruits made her uneasy. Not because of all the new faces, she never really had a problem with meeting new people, but because she could not shake the feeling of being treated … differently. She had the feeling the recruits were actively avoiding her; sometimes she even caught some of them whispering while looking into her direction. Yang shook those thoughts, her mind likely playing tricks on her.

She returned the salute of the guards as they let her through. Inside, the building reminded her of an oversized locker room, and Yang felt right at home in the somewhat familiar setting. Along the walls were military lockers with stands for combat armor, each forming a niche for every soldier. A huge table with a digital map of remnant was located in the middle with benches and chairs around it. Its purpose was most likely to give quick briefings while everyone gets combat ready. Other than that the room was empty, except for Coco of course, who stood beside a locker, fully armored.

While walking towards her, Yang took the time to take a good look at her commanding officer. She had seen this type of armor before on Patch, but back then she didn’t have the mind to take it in thoroughly. The armor was mostly brown with black fittings, black bags and bandoliers with ammo magazines were placed on Coco’s hips and over her shoulders. A holster with a sidearm was on her right thigh, a set of safely secured grenades at her left. A combat knife was fixed over the belt at her lower back. The armor itself made her look bulkier, sturdy material protecting everything except the few parts that needed to be flexible, those were covered with an equally strong-looking fiber. Heavy combat boots without Coco’s usual heels went over the similarly armored pants and were also likely reinforced. Rounding out the outfit was Coco’s beret, her sunglasses were replaced with black tinted combat glasses that covered her eyes entirely. An earpiece was sitting in her right ear, barely visible underneath her hair.

“Like what you see, Xiao Long?”

Coming to a stop in front of Coco, Yang, without missing a beat, did a sharp salute before answering.

“Yes, ma’am. The armor looks very impressive.”

A smirk spread across Coco’s face. “Glad you like it, because yours is finally done and arrived two days ago.”

With that Coco took a step to the side to reveal another stand of armor. Only now did Yang notice that the locker beside it had Yang’s name and rank on it. The armor looked identical to Coco’s, with the noticeable exception of the right arm. The armor ended above were the elbow should have been with a round metal socket. It did look heavier than the rest of the armor, and after touching it with her fingers, Yang could confirm that it was indeed some sort of metal. Because of her missing arm, the whole belt setup with sidearm, knife, and grenades was mirrored.

“In case you were wondering about that metal part. The armor does have a certain amount of weight to it. After testing something with Sly, we figured you’ll need a counterweight to compensate for the extra weight of your left arm. It’s padded and, if you want to use it that way, it packs a wallop.”

Yang didn’t answer right away. Although she tried to make strides lately in coping with the reality of her only having one arm she wasn’t quite there yet. Being reminded of her loss always shook her for a few seconds until the blonde could regain composure. Coco seemed to understand and gave her the time she needed.

“I’d have to see if I can incorporate short length strikes, ma’am, but it’ll be nice to have the option.”

Coco simply nodded without commentating about the hesitation. “Alright, Private. Then let’s go over what you got here.”

The next half hour was spent with Coco going over every single detail of the armor. From material to maintenance, how to put it on the fastest (they were thoughtful enough to make the stand collapsible and big enough to slip into armor so Yang could quickly put it on with one arm), armament, security warnings and protocols and more than enough other stuff that made Yang question if Coco was secretly trying to bore her to death.

“And lastly the combat glasses. Honestly, don’t lose them or Gadget will rip you a new one. She worked days to get all of them done.”

Taking the glasses from Coco, Yang turned them around in her hand curiously. “Urgh, don’t you have any aviators?”

Coco grinned at that. “Got to talk with Gadget about that. Just put them on for now and connect your scroll to the slot in your belt.”

Yang threw Coco an unconvinced look and did just that. Putting on the glasses had no effect at all, though she had to say they fit quite comfortably. But once she connected her scroll to the armor she let out a surprised yelp as the glasses lit up like a display.

“The glasses display a modified status chart of our whole battalion using the same scroll app we used at Beacon. CCT might be down, but local still works. That way we’ll all be connected in battle, and the glasses are our heads-up displays. You’ll get aura information and combat status for yourself and each soldier in the left lens while the right one offers a map with positions as well as controls for your earpiece and radio communication. The glasses track your eye movement so you can customize everything to your liking.”

Still, somewhat awestruck Yang’s eyes kept moving around rapidly behind the glasses, taking all the information in. Apparently, the rest of the battalion was sparring, since, according to the map, they were all grouped in pairs in the court, and their readings kept fluctuating. “Shades, this is amazing … and Gadget build this on her own? That’s insane! I didn’t know she was this adept with tech.”

“Well, you really shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, have you seen her weapon?”

“I haven’t actually.”

“Well, then you’re in for a treat soon. If you want to reduce the amount of information displayed just focus your eyes on a spot as if you’d use a cursor to drag and drop.”

As that worked flawlessly, Yang let out a low whistle. “Awesome. So I’d have to keep my scroll charged in case of battle then?”

Coco shook her head. “No need. The armor keeps the scroll charged and amplifies the signal. So don’t worry about it.”

Yang raised an eyebrow at that. “Huh, so it’s quite literally a power armor.”

Hand to the bridge of her nose Coco groaned deeply. “Urgh … you spent to much time with Grinder. It’s not power armor; it’s just armor. Geez, bloody nerds. Anyway, that about covers it, I think. Got any questions, Xiao Long?”

“Actually yes. What about the helmets? I saw every one of the guys wear it back in Patch, but no one of your team did. Is it because of the glasses? Wearing them under the helmet might be awkward.”

“Ah. Well, you’re partially correct. The glasses shouldn’t be worn with the helmet since the helmet visor works the same way as the glasses. The reason my team doesn’t wear helmets has to do with aura. The helmet makes it harder for us, or hunters in general, to sense danger approaching. Not really sure why though.”

“Alright, no helmet then. Also, how does Fox even operate the glasses while being blind?”

Coco just held Yang’s gaze silently until the blonde realized the silliness of the question.

“Right, why would he even need to have anything displayed on them. He’s blind.” Yang rubs her neck awkwardly as Coco just chuckled. “Okay, I get the knife and the grenades but why do I even need a sidearm? I mean, yes, your purse has only two settings in a firefight: useless and overkill, so I guess a handgun would be useful. My gauntlet, however, works perfectly fine in every situation.”

“Not in every situation.” Coco shook her head and drew her gun, taking a position as if to fire. “You’re thinking like a huntress. Against Grimm and Atlas bucket heads you might be right, your gauntlet is better, even though I’d argue that you still might have a use for a quick draw once you run out of gauntlet shells. Our job, however, is not pure fighting.” Coco holstered her weapon. She left the fastening undone and hovered her hand over the pistol, ready to draw. She had her left side towards Yang, but her posture was indicating that she would be able to bring the gun into play every second. “We are also tasked to work as a police force these days, remember? And you can’t go around putting shotgun fists into peoples faces. Things need to be deescalated in situations like this, and a posture like this is less threatening but gets the message across clearly. It works like a badge, though we have those too.”

Yang holds her hands up in defeat. “Alright, alright. I give you the crowd control part. Doubt I’ll ever need to use the sidearm outside of that though.”

“Never say never, Xiao Long.”

Yang rolled her eyes at that and started to take off the armor again as she saw Coco beginning to do the same. As she ran her hand across the armor on its stand, her fingers stopped over a logo etched on the chest plate. It was Coco’s emblem: a crosshair with an extra circle around it. That did not explain why it was on Yang’s gear too though. Looking closer she saw lettering underneath.

“Adel Arms Tech. I never heard of them. Are they related to you, Shades?”

As Yang turned around, she saw Coco almost frozen in front of her armor, back turned to Yang. It took a few seconds before she answered. “It was my fathers business. I shut it down when I inherited it and tried to re-brand as a fashion enterprise. Turns out weapons are in higher demand than fashion these days so I gave control to the board of directors and they restarted the arms production for the Vale military. Our battalion got priority for obvious reasons, but the deal is to equip the entire Vale army.”

Yang looked at Coco in concern. The brunettes behavior changed drastically after Yang mentioned the manufacturer. Gone was her almost casual demeanor, replaced by cold, precise words.

“Shades, are you alrigh …?”

“If that’s all, Private, you should return to the unit. I believe the drill is still ongoing.”

Yang gulped at the harsh tone but saluted nonetheless. “I’ll get to it, ma’am.”

“Good, dismissed.”

Yang turned on her heels sharply as she walked towards the exit. She chanced a quick look over her shoulder but only saw Coco standing in the same position, unmoving.

_I hit a nerve there. Maybe I could ask Velvet about it later. That might be safer than asking Coco directly; I don’t want to upset her any further._

 

  
A few hours later Yang was sitting in the barracks workshop. _Workshop_ was a somewhat loose term in this case since the room had nothing on the workshops she was used from Beacon or even Signal. The tools and benches were far from state of the art, and everything looked like it was mostly dumped into the room without care. The hunters of the battalion used to use this room frequently to tinker with their weapons, but since the battalion had only three hunters left, excluding Yang herself, the room was barely used anymore. With one exception that is.

“You seem distracted, Xiao Long. What’s going on under that mane of yours?”

Yang looked up from half-heartedly prepping her gauntlet shells to look at the corner of the room. If the workshop already counted as an unorganized mess, that corner personified a state of chaos on another level. Complex looking tools were spread all over tables and shelves, dust cartridges of all types and sizes were scattered around, blueprints placarding every free and occupied space of walls and in the middle of it, all was a certain rabbit faunus looking at her through about six different types of lenses on her work goggles.

“Huh? Sorry about that, Gadget. I was thinking about something that Shades said earlier.”

Velvet turned her head slightly, one of her faunus ears drooping over a bit. “Care to share?”

Yang set her dust shells on the table and turned entirely towards Velvet. “I asked her about the trademark on our armors. Adel Arms Tech? She reacted quite poorly to that. I dunno, maybe it’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing.” Velvet let out a knowing sigh. She stopped working on Yang’s remaining half of Ember Celica and delicately set the weapon down on her workbench. “Quite the opposite of nothing actually. You went to Signal with Coco, right?”

“Well, technically yes. She was a year ahead of me.”

“Did she ever mention her family?”

Yang thought about it for a bit. “I know that her mother died when she was very young. And that her Dad ran a big company, but that’s about it.”

“Well,” Velvet slowly removed her overcomplicated magnifying glasses, “I spare you all the details but let’s just say that her father’s company was bad news. They used to be a renowned weapons and arms manufacturer, but with Atlas taking over the market in the kingdoms they resorted to illegal and morally questionable methods. Selling unregulated weapons to bandits, thieves, gangs, even straight up terrorist cells. After her father’s untimely death, Coco inherited the business and soon found out about these shady deals. So she decided to stomp the whole thing to the ground and let it rise anew as a fashion empire, like a phoenix out of the ashes.” Velvet opened her arms dramatically like wings before showing a pained smirk. “Quite poetic, right? Only problem is: life does not work that way.”

Yang shifted in her seat uncomfortably. “So, what happened?”

Velvet just shrugged. “War happened. Coco never managed to erase all leftovers from her dad’s firm. She was too busy with Beacon after all. And when the war came, Vale was in dire need of equipment. With Atlas obviously out as a supplier, General Goodwitch was looking for a local solution. So she approached Coco. I don’t know the exact details, but in short, Coco got her board of directors to rebuild the arms manufacture … and with that essentially undid everything she had achieved in the time before.”

“That sucks.” Yang hung her head low.

“Gets worse. To secure exclusive production rights for the Vale Army and to get the board’s cooperation, Coco had to relinquish her claim on the firm. Her assets were frozen, her plans for a fashion line were scrapped. The only stuff that remained: her fashion designs, dress and bag prototypes, and so on, was what she had left in her private workshop.”

“But … that’s not so bad, right? I’ve seen the stuff she designs; she’s brilliant! Lien are a problem, I get that, but she can always restart with her stored designs after the war, right?”

Velvet sat silent for a few seconds, then she stood up and walked and opened a drawer on her workbench. She procured a bottle of whiskey and two glasses and walked over to Yang, pouring them both a drink and sitting herself down on a chair next to the blonde.

“We’ll need a drink for that.” Following her own words, Velvet drowned her drink and poured herself another one.

“After the Vale government was murdered, General Goodwitch taking control and founding the militia, tensions, and emotions were running wild. One thing became apparent really fast: having a Grimm meeting place near the city was a death sentence for Vale. There was almost no way for us to get the city under control. You know, with Grimm gathering around that in Beacon, we had to use every available hunter to keep the beasts at bay. So, a decision was made to retake the academy by all means necessary. Therefore everyone and everything was thrown at the problem until one side gave in. Obviously, that side wasn’t us. Doesn’t mean we didn’t lose a lot of people fighting Grimm. Or trying to keep the glorified militia citizens alive.”

Velvet downed another drink, Yang, on the other hand, was too busy following the story and had not even touched her first glass yet.

“Anyway, point is not the battle but what happens afterward. We were ordered to sweep the buildings. And by we I mean just our team. Eventually, we reached our old dorm room. It was a mess. You could still tell that it was ours but the Grimm clearly had their way in it. Beds were toppled over, sheets and mattresses were ripped, tables destroyed, half our cabinets were on the ground. Didn’t really matter, since none of us really cared about that. We all had our eyes on Coco. Of course, we knew about the deal with her old company by now and what she gave up for it. But we also had that whole system with the names, you know? Store our old selves away, protect them at all costs so we can go back to the way we were after the war. It’s a nice concept in theory, but that concept fell apart rapidly when we saw Coco leaning on the entrance to the dorm next door.” Velvet shook her head, trying to collect her thoughts.

“You need to know that our year was a team short and Coco had rented the leftover room from the school to put her fashion workshop in. Everything she had was in there: her designs, her clothes, her prototypes, her bags, every single fashion piece she had left, now that she gave up her company. She always had that to fall back to like you said. That was the place she planned to lock ‘Coco’, the Coco she wanted to preserve, away while she fought this war. And now she came to do that and … well. Most of the building wall was gone, and the weather had taken its toll. A steady stream of water pouring down from the ceiling and rampaging Grimm did the rest. There was nothing to salvage, nothing left, no more Coco for safe keeping. Only the version of herself that had already lost almost everything remained. Just Shades.”

Velvet fell silent after that, looking sadly into her drink. Yang was at a loss for words. She had no idea what she could say to make this better if there was **_a_** _nything_ to say. In the end, it was Velvet who spoke first.

“So yeah, that’s the story behind Adel Arms Tech. Their equipment, their participation in this war is the only thing left of Coco. She gave everything for this war and now the only thing left to do is see this through.”

Yang shook her head violently. “But … that’s not true. She’s still herself, right? Fox said so too that she has those moments of being Coco.”

“Sure,” Velvet sounded almost defeated, “but those moments come less and less. With each person, we lose it gets less. It eats away at her, her problems eat away on her, and she won’t let us in or share. Because she knows she has nothing to go back to after the war and therefore she tries to shoulder everything so we won’t have to. It’s not fair, but it is what she wants. You should know how that works. You do that to yourself, too. Don’t you?”

Yang bit her lip. “That’s different.”

“ _How_ is that different? You blame yourself for everything, right? All that happened, Beacon, this war. You convinced yourself this is your fault, right?”

Yang gripped her right arm to stop herself from starting to shake. Her gaze fixated on the ground. “I lost control and got arrested. If that had not happened, I would have been with my team during Pyrrha’s fight. Ruby would not have been there alone; we could have stopped it. They did something to Pyrrha and stopped my sister from intervening. If I’d been there, we could have stopped them!”

A single finger pushed Yang’s chin up until she was looking into brown eyes. “How? The arena is sealed, no one could reach the combatants. And even if you could reach them you would have caused an uproar for interfering.”

Yang pushed Velvets finger away, but she held the gaze. “But Penny would not have died. And there would not have been a panic. So nothing would have happened!”

“You’re delusional, Xiao Long. Do you think a plan like that would have relied entirely on how you reacted? How Pyrrha reacted? That hoping a multi-times champion would somehow dismantle a robot girl and cause a panic? Please, there were likely backup scenarios and other plans in motion, they just were not needed.”

“But …”

“No buts!” Velvet slammed her glass on the table, shattered glass fragments cutting into her skin, drawing blood before her aura could activate. “You could have made it harder for them, yes. But there was a fucking atlesian army in the city plus our kingdoms defenses, plus dozens of full-fledged hunters and they all could do shit against their plan. So what could you do? We’re no heroes from fairy tales, Yang. Neither me, nor you, nor anyone else in this battalion. We’re just soldiers. We play our part; we path the way so the heroes can save the day. And most likely we will rather die trying than see this to the end. The only thing we can do is stick together and keep us alive for as long as we can because I can guarantee you _no one_ gives a shit about us, except for ourselves. You got that?”

Yang held Velvet’s stare for a few minutes, neither of them saying anything. Finally, Yang sighed defeated.

“Yeah, I get it. But I won’t accept my fate and roll over. Even if me thinking I am responsible for all of it was dumb, I still fucked up. And I’ll make up for that.”

A small smirk showed on Velvet’s face. “We can work with that. Now let me clean up this mess you made me do, and that let’s continue modding your weapon, alright?”

Yang nodded, and Velvet let her alone with her thoughts. Honestly, she did not really get it. But if nothing else, today gave her a lot to think about.


	15. For Your Own Good

**Wednesday 1620.**  
**Four months and two weeks after.F.B.**

 

Two days and lots of thinking later and Yang still did not get it. Well, that was not entirely true; she did _get_ it. It was not hard to understand what Velvet was trying to convey to her. Still, it did not mean she _accepted_ it. She had to admit that Velvet had a point though. Maybe she did load too much guilt upon herself by believing she and she alone could have prevented the whole disaster at the tournament. It did not take away from her own failures, however.

_But she had an explanation for that too, hadn’t she? Maybe I’m really not a hero. Maybe I’m just a girl with a knack for fighting. I never dreamed of being a huntress, not like my sister. I just wanted to see the world, get my kicks, enjoy an exciting life. Being a huntress just fitted the bill. All these stories I told Ruby about heroes and fairy tales … might be that I deluded myself there. Let myself get swept away with Ruby’s enthusiasm. Could it be that because my heart was not really in it that I let myself be used like that? Because deep down I lacked conviction? Urgh, self-reflection is a pain in the butt!_

Yang let out a frustrated sigh as she continued her jog around the barracks. Everyone else was resting after the drills, conversing with the recruits. Not Yang, though. She had some thinking to do. Also, some cardio training apparently; she was already starting to pant, and she was just running for somewhat over an hour. Plus it gave her an excuse to dodge the recruits. Because for all the confusion in her life, after three days at least one thing seemed to be crystal clear: they were all indeed avoiding her. Only for the life of her, Yang could not figure out why all the new folks were dodging out of conversations with her or averting eye contact. That meant more thinking. But perhaps no more running in the barracks, since after her fourth pass, the entrance gate gave her an idea.

_I still got a couple of hours before curfew. Might as well change the scenery and take a jog at the docks. Maybe the smell of fish and whores enlightens me, or something._

The plan set in her mind, Yang changed course towards the base exit. The gate was usually open, only flanked by two unfortunate souls on guard duty as well as one lookout up in the tower. She figured it would not be a problem to leave the grounds from the inside, but one of the guards proved her wrong by stepping in her way, his rifle at the ready.

“Hold. I am sorry, Private, but you’re not allowed off the premises.”

Her eyebrows furrowed as she stopped in front of the guard. According to his uniform, he was in the 7th battalion but since Yang had never encountered him during drill, he’d most likely belonged to the permanent staff of the garrison. Yang had soon learned that there were a lot more people under Coco’s command than just the folks in Yang’s attack squad. Besides guards, there were techs for equipment and radio, administration and maintenance, as well as the hospital and airfield staff. Now, however, Yang could not care less who that guy was, she had more urgent matters in mind.

“There must be some kind of mistake; I just saw folks leave, like, fifteen minutes ago.”

The guard seemed nervous, but he did hold Yang’s gaze. “Again, I am sorry, Private, but you must have misunderstood. _You’re_ not allowed off the premises.”

Now that tone left no room for error and got Yang’s full attention. “What? Why? And on whose authority?”

“Only things I need to know are my orders, Private. So if you would kindly clear the area?”

Yang did not want to start an even bigger scene, so she stepped back confused. But then a specific shade of dark green in the guard tower caught her attention. She fished her scroll from her pocket and connected herself with the operations radio frequency. Every member of her squad, while on duty, had to be connected to the said frequency. Which meant …

“Hacks! Stop hiding! I can see you up there.”

Up in the guard tower, Hacks got apparently really startled by that and her head whipped around searchingly until she spotted Yang.

“What the hell, Xiao Long? You almost gave me a heart attack! I’m the only one of the gang on duty right now, so this line is supposed to be silent!”

“What kind of a guard gets startled by noise? You are supposed to pay attention.”

“I’m a lookout. That means I _look_. With my _eyes,_ not the ears. And don’t change the subject! You’re not supposed to be on this line; you’re off duty.”

“Geeez, chill out, will ya? I’m out of your hair as soon as you tell me why I am not allowed to leave the grounds. You’re on guard detail. You got to be briefed about that.”

Yang could practically see the change in Hack’s demeanor after her question. The sniper broke eye contact almost immediately and looked towards the city.

“No idea what you’re talking about, Xiao Long.”

“Yeah, no. Cut the crap and spill it.”

There were a few seconds of silence before Hacks talked again.

“Listen, just drop it, alright? Trust us on that one.”

_Us? That doesn’t sound good. Not good at all._

“What’s that supposed to mean? Just tell me what is going on here. I am not going to just leave and forget about it!”

Yang could see that Hacks was uncomfortable. She ran her hand nervously through her braids before turning around, giving Yang a sad smile.

“Look, ask Shades, okay? It’s her order.”

Yang held the other woman’s sight for a few seconds before exhaling deeply. “Thanks, Hacks. Appreciate it.”

As Yang turned and walked towards Coco’s office, she could not see the sad look Hacks gave her.

 

 

  
“So, how are the new recruits doing?”

Coco was sitting behind her way too fashionable desk, a fresh cup of coffee on her right, a neat stack of already finished reports on her left, and the expanded screen of her scroll in front of her. The device was currently showing a personification of the latest attempt at ruining her perfectly beautiful day. She slid down her sunglasses to glare dangerously at her caller.

“Tell me that this was just a bad attempt at making a joke, Glynda.”

The woman in question just chuckled.

“Hardly. I _am_ curious. Though I am aware that I gave you little to work with.”

“You can say that again. Yesterday, Butch tried to show one of them how to block a punch, and that guy simply ducked and covered his head with his hands. Butch stood there for a couple of seconds trying to process what just happened, and I can’t blame the guy.”

“Come on; now you’re exaggerating!”

“Maybe a little.” Coco allowed herself a chuckle. “But not by much. These guys are terrible.”

“I know, Coco, but the 7th is the only battalion on stand-by right now, so I gave you the worst recruits while sending the better ones to the deployed battalions. You got the time to flesh them out, but the others need to learn on the fly.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

The image of Glynda Goodwitch sent her an honest smile. Her former teacher may be the commanding General of the Vale Army, but lately, the usually cold and calculating blond huntress had taken up the habit of dropping formalities with Coco. Not that the fashionista was complaining about that. Coco did not enjoy military ranks anyway, and this was a nice change of pace. And Goodwitch had her own reasons to do it.  
  
_She’s masking. She lost so many friend and students in the lasts months; it has to be killing her. So she puts on this facade to pretend she’s fine and dandy. At least to a handful of people. Not really sure why I am one of them, but I guess when you run out of friends then former students are the next best thing. She_ can’t fool _me with that. But hell if I’d try to stop her, I could use a little masking myself. Takes one to know one, I guess._

“But since you mentioned time, I guess that means there’s no course of action yet.”

“We have a course, it’s the same as before Patch: control the Grimm, keep the White Fang at bay and hold up the peace in the kingdom. The situation only changed in that we now have the funds and community backing to exceedingly kick off armament. Atlas overbid, and that buys us precious time. It does give them time to reproduce their fleet too, but the gap between them and us was so wide that we can catch up faster in groundwork.”

Coco nodded as she listened to the General. Aside from emotional strain and sorrow, Patch caused Glynda a fair bit of physical pain as well. The scars of that battle were plain to see on her face, notably the one from her forehead to her left cheek that cost Glynda her eye. She wore an eye patch and her blond hair over it and Coco had never heard her complain about it. _No wonder. In comparison to her opponent that day, she got off lucky._

“So, essentially, we sit around, stock up and scout until we find an opening to strike or until they make a move.”

“Precisely.” Glynda’s image took a sip of her own coffee. “So make the most of the time you got. And remember to take over police duties in the harbor and industrial district from the 5th starting tomorrow, Coco.”

“I know, I haven’t forgotten. I got Gadget, Sly, Bonkers, and Grinder covering it while the rest whips the recruits into shape.” As a silent stare met her, Coco raised a brow. “What?”

“Nothing. I don’t presume to tell you how to run your battalion. I just expected you to put Xiao Long on police duty.”

Coco sighed, absentmindedly playing with a pen. “We had this conversation. It’s too early. She’s making great strides and she managed to make up with Gadget, but sending her out into the city is a whole other can of worms. It’s difficult enough with the new recruits.”

Glynda furrowed a brow at that. “I still think that it’ll get harder the longer you push it back, Coco. So, the recruits are giving her a hard time?”

“No, I was very clear that such behavior would not be tolerated. But it’s obvious that they avoid her. Only a matter of time until Yang catches on.”

“You’re probably right about that.” A few seconds later a dangerous smirk formed on Glynda’s face. “I’d say about two minutes before she catches on.”

Coco sent a confused look the Generals way until Glynda gestured behind Coco. The brunette turned to see Yang through her window, marching towards her office. And even from this distance, it was clear that the brawler was angry. And Glynda must have also seen that through the scroll’s camera.

“Great. I just wanted one day without some sort of problem. Is that so hard to ask for?”

“Sorry, Coco. That one is on you. You withheld that particular information. And now it’s time to pay the piper.”

“You know, Glynda, I just remembered that you hadn’t had the chance to talk to Yang yet. I think it would be beneficial for her to hear some encouraging words towards her progress, especially coming from you.” Coco tried her sugar-sweet voice in hopes of rescue.

“That would be lovely indeed! It would surely help with her … oh dear! Would you look at the time, I am so very sorry, but I just remembered that I have a meeting soon. That encouraging talk will have to wait. And it seems that you’ll be busy soon enough anyway, Coco.” Unfortunately, Glynda could out-sugar-sweet Coco any day. Figures. And with one last smile and a comically overacted wave of her hand, Glynda disconnected the call and let Coco face the music alone.

“Well, whatever. I had this one coming, I guess.”

 

 

It took Yang a few minutes to collect herself before entering Coco’s office. In the past she would have busted through the door, her anger flaring. But that was not her anymore; she had to learn to keep her temper in check. Otherwise that it would cause particular memories to surface, most of those she really did not need right now. Or ever again for that matter. Keeping it calm, ‘playing it smart’ that is what Fox called it. So she gathered herself before knocking at her commanding officer’s door.

“Come in.”

As she entered the office, Yang was shocked by the lack of personalization going on. She had expected someone as fashion conscious as Coco to have her office designed meticulously. As it stood, there was hardly anything out of the ordinary. The only personal belongings Yang could identify were a handful of photos at the corner of the large desk.

“What can I do for you, Private?”

Yang stopped her visual exploration to face Coco. She forced herself into a strictly military posture and saluted.

“Apologies for bothering you, Colonel. I was hoping I could borrow a moment of your time.”

Coco watched Yang silently for a bit, as the blonde held her salute.

“Come on, Yang. Drop the act. I saw you through the window; you looked fuming. What’s the matter?”

Yang exhaled deeply while relaxing her pose. “It’s not an act. All this military stiffness actually helps with keeping myself centered.” Yang paused a second, studying Coco’s face, which showed something between understanding and empathy. “I wanted to ask why you essentially grounded me.”

Coco sighed at that. “Figured you stumble on that particular order sooner or later. Please, sit down, and I’ll tell you.” As Coco stood up and moved around her desk, Yang stood her ground.

“I think I prefer to stand.”

Coco just offered her a hard stare. “And I _know_ you’ll prefer to sit soon enough. So sit your ass down Xiao Long. Can I offer you something to drink?”

Yang just rolled her eyes but sat down and did not argue. “Fine. And water, please.”

Coco went to the side of her office where a small cabinet with beverages was located. “Am I right to assume, that you didn’t really leave Patch before shit went down?”

Yang thanked Coco as she gave her the desired water. “Pretty much. I started helping out around the island but that I never left it.”

“Hmm.” Coco settled herself behind the desk again, and Yang raised an eyebrow at the bottle of Scotch Coco opened and began to pour into a glass. “So, only official news in TV and newspapers and the townsfolk?”

Yang involuntarily reached up to her stump. “I get the feeling that I won’t like where this is going.”

Coco downed her glass in one go before activating something on her scroll. “No, you really won’t.”

A projection sprang to life in the middle of the desk. It showed compilation videos and pictures. Coco pressed a few buttons, and one of the videos expanded. It showed a violent protest, people yelling and screaming, beating each other and police officers bloody. But the most disturbing thing was some of the banners and signs they had. Ozpin and Ironwood were the most prominent of the depicted people, but there were some of Pyrrha and Penny too. And some of Yang. They had her pictured with horns and flames, with a horrible visage like a monster. Coco flipped other pictures open; some had her depicted as she brutalized Mercury during the tournament. Some had her standing alongside atlesian knights, aiming her smoking gauntlets at screaming children. Another video started with people yelling her name in rage while burning life-sized cut-outs of her.

Yang felt her stomach turn. She felt dizzy and sick. Her body started shaking, but she could tear her eyes away from it all. “What … what is this?”

“Things escalated quickly after the former government gave an official statement about Beacon. People lashed out at anyone and anything related to the fiasco. Atlas took the brunt of the hate but everyone saw what happened at the tournament and so the mob found new targets. Glynda and others tried the best they could to keep you, Pyrrha and Penny out of the official news. Especially you, since you, you know, were still alive. I figure your Dad and the rest of the townsfolk tried to keep that all away from you as well, for as long as they could.”

“So … the reason why all the recruits are avoiding me … and why I am not allowed to leave the base … it’s because of this. Because you didn’t want me to see that the entirety Vale sees me as a monster?”

“You’re not a monster, Yang.”

“They don’t seem to think so.”

“Fuck’em; they’re idiots.” Coco took off her sunglasses and searched for Yang’s eyes. “If you want to blame me for keeping this from you, you’re free to do so. I understand. But you got enough on your plate. I wanted to give you a bit of time to heal before this hurts you again.”

Yang didn’t say another word for a while, she just reached out over the table to Coco’s glass of Scotch and downed it. Coco silently gave her a refill. Yang’s thoughts were an incoherent mess. She went through too many emotion at once to feel anything other than numb. And it took her quite a while before she could express a structured thought.

“Thanks, Coco. For looking out for me.”

Coco gave her a rare, genuine smile. “Anytime, Yang. Anytime.”


	16. Pound The Beat

 

**Thursday, 0600**  
**Four months and two weeks after F.B.**

"Alright Ladies, look alive." Yang forced herself out of her bed and stood attention as Coco's voice ran through the barracks. It was no surprise to get woken up this early, standard procedure really, but the fact that it was Coco who woke the 7th up today and not Mouser suggested a change.

"We all had some well-deserved rest the last week, and I hope you will remember how that felt because we won't get any of that again anytime soon." Coco was pacing through the lines of the soldiers with Mouser on her side. She was in full uniform, including her sidearm, hands folded behind her back as she briefly inspected every one. "Starting today the 7th Battalion returns to full active duty. The 5th had to cover our asses for long enough, and I won't owe them any more than I already do because of it." Yang could hear a few faint sighs and grunts, but Coco seemed to ignore that.

"Therefore, Gadget, Sly, take Grinder and Bonkers, you four are on police duty today. Harbor and Industrial Districts, as we did before. The rest gear up, we're hitting the training facility hard. Gotta whip our new blood into shape before some lucky bot ends them." That earned Coco some murmurs and grunts from the recruits until some well placed sharped looks of hers silenced them. "Questions?"

As Coco looked around the room, Yang was biting her lower lip, pondering.

_Of course, she won't put you on police duty. You know what she said yesterday, the city hates you. You're better off here, in the barracks, where you can hide from your problems until they go away. That's what you do, right Xiao Long? It's the easy way. The coward's way. The better way, you'll screw it up anyway._

"Shut up!" Yang growled to herself, eyes widening as she noticed that she spoke out loud.

"Got anything to add, Xiao Long?" Coco appeared on her side, looking at Yang intently over her sunglasses.

"Yes, ma'am." Yang stood as straight as she could, eyes fixed on the opposite wall. "I request to be put on police duty today, ma'am."

Yang could almost feel Coco's eyes burning into her side. "And why is that, Private?"

Yang breathed out, gathering her courage for a second. "I know why you wanted to keep me inside the base, ma'am, and while I appreciate it, I can not hide from what I did. I believe it better to confront this now rather than on a later mission, where we can not afford that."

The silence stretched out for a few heartbeats. Yang kept looking straight, and everyone could sense the unasked question coming from Coco.  _Are you sure about this?_  And in truth: Yang was not sure. Not at all. But this was something she had to do. Something she had to overcome before it becomes an issue that endangers others.  _No more burden to others. I can do this, one way or another._

"Alright then. Sly you'll stay. Gadget, Xiao Long you'll take the harbor district. Grinder, Bonkers industrial is all yours. Fall out!"

 

 

As she took a good look around the city, it dawned on Yang how bad of an idea this was.

Yang always liked the city of Vale; it was ever so vibrant with energy. People were walking around wildly, going along with their business or just sightseeing and shopping. Children were running around their parents while they were busy talking with friends and family. Couples were openly flirting and giggling in cozy coffee shops, bathing in young love. Teens were window shopping at the various and colorful street shops, discussing the newest trends or gushing over fancy fashion. It was entirely different from what was presented to Yang today.

The city was a shadow of its former self. There were litter and garbage everywhere, even some burned out cars on the sidewalks. Most of the street lights were either gone or damaged, their light flickering in and out of existence. Many of the shops got boarded over, and only some stores were still open; most of them grocery stores. No children were seen, and an eerie silence lay over the streets. Occasionally a citizen hurried around a corner, quickly passing and trying not to linger.

The sound of their transport revving up his engine and turning to return to base tore Yang out of her thoughts. She looked after the armored vehicle and continued to do so even as it had long rounded the block.

She felt a hand resting on her shoulder. Or rather she felt the weight of it since it was difficult to grasp the touch through her armor. She looked to the side and saw a concerned look on Velvet's face. "Not what you expected."

It was not a question. It did not need to be one. Yang answered nonetheless. "Yeah. I dunno, it should not surprise me, with the war and all, it makes sense that things got abandoned and no one got time yet to fix stuff. Still it never really occurred to me until now."

Velvet nodded silently and turned towards the other two. Grinder and Bonkers seemed used to the sight. In hindsight, Yang should have expected 'police duty' to be rather different once the order came to gear up in full combat armor. And now she was looking at two comrades with their rifles at the ready, three feet away from a bakery where she used to buy cookies for Ruby.

"Alright, let's do this. Comcheck." Velvet tipped her earpiece as she repeated the word a few times. Yang nodded towards her and Bonkers just raised a thumb.

"Five by Five, Gadget. We'll let you two know if we stumble across something fun. And Yang, remember: Just roll perception if you can't find anything." Grinder gave a little mock salute and then walked towards the industrial district with Bonkers.

Yang blinked twice in confusion. "Roll what now?"

Velvet huffed and rolled her eyes behind her goggles. "Ignore him. He always throws around this weird nerd talk and expects us to understand."

"It is not my problem that you folks lack a basic understanding of the modern language." Grinder's voice promptly answered over the comm.

"Calling your gamer slang  _modern language_  is quite debatable, pal." Bonkers' name popped up on the side of Yang's glasses, identifying him as the speaker.

"Come on, Xiao Long. We might as well start moving while these two argue semantics." Velvet nodded towards the harbor and Yang started to follow. Unlike Grinder and Bonkers neither Yang nor Velvet were carrying assault rifles. Velvet, however, had her weapon box active; the small case on the faunus' lower back was emitting a faint, blue glow. Yang did not carry a rifle for apparent reasons. Instead, she wore her Ember Celica on her wrist. She made sure it was collapsed in its deactivated form and her sidearm secured in its holster.

"You really should have your weapon active, Xiao Long." Yang looked up and saw Velvet looking at her over the shoulder. Apparently, she had noticed Yang checking her gear.

"Actually, I wanted to ask about that. When Shades talked to me about the gear, she said that part of our job as police forces is to defuse and de-escalate things, that's where the sidearm comes in handy. Where exactly do combat armor, assault rifles, and activated hunter weapons qualify as deescalating?"

"Yeah well, you kinda answered that yourself, Xiao Long. That's police duty. You can walk around with fancy uniforms while in the suburban and business districts. There you can uphold the law with your wit and an occasional reminding pat on your pistol. Down here, we're the riot squad."

Yang's glasses lit up again as Bonkers continued. "Gadget's right, Yang. The harbor and industrial districts are hot spots. The working class is always the first to suffer and therefore prone to violence. It's where the revolts and uprisings against the government started first. Things did calm down significantly since then, but now with the war, it's possible that something is gonna erupt again."

"And therefore you better take that Ready Action now, or you'll waste a turn later." Grinder chimed in.

Yang gave Velvet a questioning look.

"What Grinder means is that you want to have your weapon ready and loaded if shit goes down. Wouldn't be the first time some idiots with violent criticism of the status quo jump us. That or some White Fang grunts are looking for trouble. 'Sides, don't you wanna test that new trigger I built in your gauntlet?"

"Not against civilians, I don't" Nonetheless Yang did activate her gauntlet. From the outside, it looked like her regular Ember Celica, but Velvet added some smart modifications these past days. The most notable effects were faster and better reloading and firing now that she only had one arm. Yang did not have to move her arm anymore which made for a tremendous quality of life change.

"Well, let's keep our eyes sharp and, with a bit of luck, we won't run into any trouble."

 

 

Yang thought of the last time, she consciously remembered being at the harbor. Weiss had dragged her and the entire team here to scout the opposition in the tournament, although she had claimed, that she only wanted to welcome them. The harbor was busy as always with ships anchoring, loading and unloading, banners and balloons for the festival everywhere. Then she remembered what transpired later during said trip and her mood darkened. Dark was also a fitting word to describe her current surroundings.

The once busy harbor was barely recognizable. Only a handful ships were anchored, most of them looking like they had not sailed for a long time. Workers and sailors were lingering in the shadows and around burn barrels. The whole district had a dangerous air to it that made Yang's skin crawl. Velvet was walking beside her, her rabbit ears twitching in every direction. The two had not spoken much since they arrived and started their rounds and, judging by the silent comm, her two partners seemingly did the same.

Despite all of it, their first and second round was rather uneventful. The people did not acknowledge them, and the routine checks with ships, taverns, brothels, stores, and boatyards yielded nothing out of the ordinary. Some cases of drunken violence and a case of petty theft but nothing else. On their third pass, however, things seemed to change. Yang had to adjust the filters of her combat glasses a few times because she could have sworn that people were following them over short distances. Some were talking to each other; others were pointing at them. Or more precisely her. Yang saw Velvet's ears focus on each of these conversations, a big frown forming on the faunus face. It did not take long from there that people were openly looking at Yang and the whispers changed into audible murmurs.

 

_"That's that bitch from the tournament."_

_"She's the one that broke that guy's legs."_

_"Got some nerve showing her face here."_

_"Looks like they got her good though."_

_"Serves that whore right."_

_"Ha! As if she'll get enough customers disfigured as she is."_

_"As if I care about an arm, while I fuck a whore like that. Look at that rack!"_

_"She's with the army now? They'll let every cripple join, or what?"_

_"Of course she is! Told you it was all a setup!"_

_"She cripples that boy and causes a panic. She's in on it! Like the other bitch and that four-pieced_ robot.""

_"All planned by the government, I tell ya!"_

_"How about we teach that bitch a lesson, give her our opinion on their master plan?"_

 

Velvet and Yang slowed down as they noticed more and more workers and sailors gather around them.

"Not good. I doubt Shades expected them to react this bad towards you. Better call for back-up." Velvet kept on walking while activating her comm. "This is Gadget; we got a mob forming at the harbor. Likely hostile. Requesting assistance."

"Acknowledged, Gadget. Sending reinforcements. ETA five minutes."

"Copy HQ. Stay sharp, Yang. And let me do the talking." Yang could only nod. Her throat was starting to tighten, her arm and body began to shake as she felt the signs of an imminent panic attack.  _Not now! Get a grip, Xiao Long! You can't leave Velvet alone here! This was your bloody idea now see it through! If she gets hurt, it's your damned fault for being here in the first place! She would have been okay with Sly!_

While Yang was fighting with herself, Velvet had stopped and turned towards the mob circling them. Improvised weapons like pipes and chains, even some knives were already seen among the people.

"I am Sergeant Scarlatina, Vale Army. What is the purpose of this gathering?"

"What do you think, bunny? We're gonna gut this bitch. Give her the justice she deserves."

"Justice? On what terms?"

"On terms that she's one of the fuckers that caused this whole mess! She and those redheaded bitches!"

Velvet's hand wandered to her sidearm. "Have you gone mad? Why are you still blaming the students? We're at  _war_  with Atlas! Atlas  _took_  Patch! What more reason do you need to see who is behind all of it?"

"She attacked the kid! Broke his damned leg!"

"So what? She fucked up! Made for a pretty headline. Sure motivated Atlas robots to start fucking killing us! Listen to yourself!"

"We're not stupid, bunny! She was in it, you all are! Fucking hunters and academies! I'll put a bullet in her; maybe then I can sleep better at night!" The worker pulled a pistol out and tried to aim at Yang but stopped with half-raised arms as he looked down the barrel of Velvet's sidearm.

"Lower your gun, or I ensure you'll sleep like a corpse." That gave the man pause, and Velvet looked around, ears folded back in anger. "Listen up! We're at war! We can't afford to be at each other's throats like that! I heard you make fun of her earlier. Crippled whore, one armed bitch, was that what you called her? Yeah, you know why she lost that arm? Because  _she_  tried to protect fuckers like  _you_  from Atlas bucket heads! And as a reward she got her arm sliced off by the White Fang because she was protecting you ungrateful bastards! She was recovering at her home in Patch when the enemy bombed the island to shreds. And she still managed to get people to safety! Saved lives of Vale citizens. And what did you do? Sitting on your asses, drinking and complaining while the world's gone to shit! She gave more than anyone of us for the cause, so don't you dare judge her!"

Murmurs were going through the assembled crowd. Nobody was closing in on them for the moment, and Velvet hoped her little net of half-truths would buy them some time. She looked at Yang who was panting and breathing heavy, but she had seemingly snapped out of her panic. She stood back to back with Velvet, her hand floating over her sidearm. Velvet watched the crowd debating with itself as she whispered into the comm. "You're with me, Xiao Long?"

"I am. Sorry, got a little rattled there for a second, Gadget. What now?"

"I think I bought us some time. We wait for the reinforcements. We should try not to use our hunter weaponry. They're anti-hunter enough as it is. If they come any closer use the ice dust setting of your sidearm. That should slow them down."

"Copy that."

Luckily for the both of them, a familiar roar of an airship engine was heard, and searchlights washed over the crowd. Brush's voice came amplified over the outside speakers.

_"This is the Vale Army. Disperse this assembly immediately. I repeat: this is the Vale Army. Disperse this assembly immediately."_

Four figures landed next to Yang and Velvet. Butch and Hacks immediately covered their sides with rifles at the ready. Doc gave Yang and Velvet a quick check over before raising his gun. Fox came up to Velvet, arm blades at the ready. "Status?"

"Controlled. One pulled a gun, but I convinced him to stop being stupid. No one got hurt."

Fox nodded as all six kept their focus and weapons on the mob who held for only a few seconds before disbanding with little to no protests. As the situation was solved, they all let out a deep sigh and holstered their weapons. Fox shook his head, clearly frustrated. "That could have gone better. Gadget, Xiao Long, rendezvous with Brush and head home. We'll take it from here."

"Copy that, Sly. Come on, Xiao Long. Let's get you out of here."

 

 

A few minutes later Yang was standing in Brush's bullhead, her grip around the security handle so intense, her knuckles turned white. Velvet was standing opposite of her, looking out the open hatch of the aircraft. They stood there in silence until they heard Brush address them.

"We're landing shortly, so hold on tight. Yang? I heard what happened over Gadget's comm. Are you alright?"

Yang could hear the sincerity and concern in Brush's voice, but she could not muster much more than looking at her feet and giving a brief answer. "No, I'm really not."

A moment later she could feel an armored hand at her neck. She looked up just in time to see Velvet leaning in and putting their foreheads together. Lilac met brown, and Yang could not help but feel herself calm down a bit.

"You did good today, Yang. Better than good. You kept yourself together; you did not falter. You had my back. Thank you for that."

Yang shook her head as much as was possible. "I didn't keep it together. I panicked and I … they swarmed us because of me. I screwed this up. If I hadn't been there they would have never …"

Yang jerked as Velvet drew her head back a bit and headbutted Yang gently before resting their heads together again. "Idiot. You had a panic attack. That's normal. Happens all the time. This thing was a bitch, giving the circumstances. You still powered through. That's a win in my book. Also, you were there because Shades ordered you to be there. Curse yourself for making the offer if you must, but it was Shades' call, not yours. You and I, we don't got a damn thing to say, so we can't blame ourselves if anything goes fubar. We are soldiers, we had orders, we followed them, no one got hurt, we did well. Got that?"

The blonde took a few breaths and smiled. "Got it."

_And this time, felt like she did._


	17. Sunny Little Dragon

**Thursday 1845.**  
**Four months and two weeks after F.B.**

 

Moonlight was falling through the closed curtains, bathing the bedroom in an almost eerie light. Not that it would have made any difference to Fox. Nonetheless, he could feel the dread that would accompany such a view. Or maybe that was just the all too familiar aftermath of what had transpired. He slowly stood up and began to search for his clothes by touch alone. A tedious task for a blind man even if his belongings were not scattered across the room, discarded in haste and desire not so long ago. As he slipped into his pants and boots, struggling a bit with his shirt, he reached for the door. His hand was turning the doorknob, ready to leave without a word. Like he always did. Like she wanted him to. Still, today he hesitated. He did not know what caused him to do so, what finally snapped inside of him to force himself to confront this habit of the two. But today, he turned around.

Fox could not see her clearly. He never could these days. The blind man could not see her with his eyes, but he never thought he would ever have trouble to see Coco with his aura. He learned early on, that, if he could focus his aura hard enough, he could use it to sense others. It was hard at first and drained him rapidly, but he could manage at least some outlines. With time he became better, outlines became more detailed: faces, fingers, eyes ….  
He never had to focus to see Coco. She had always been radiant, her aura shining brighter than everyone else around her. Shining like the sun. Fox could see Coco vividly, every detail of her sparkling in the darkness that was his world. With her, it was like he never lost his sight.

He saw Coco’s outline sitting on her bed. He was not entirely sure, but it seemed that she was looking towards the curtains on the other side. No matter how hard he focused, she did not get any clearer. In combat it was different. There, her aura flared as vigorous as ever, protecting her from harm, but here, in the safety of her base, her own bedroom, it was barely noticeable. And it dimmed further every day. He could not see her bare back, her silky hair, her pale skin … not anymore. Not now, not even during these moments of lust they shared.

“How long are we going to pretend that nothing has changed between us, Coco?”

There it was. The question that lingered in his mind for months now. The question he dreaded to ask, the one he could never shake off. He did not get an answer. But he was not about to let it go, now that he finally managed to ask.

“When we first slept together, back at Beacon, I figured this was just a fling, something to take the edge off. And you certainly thought the same. But over time I thought it became something more. A source of comfort, of affection. I believed it could become even more than that and I thought you felt the same. But something changed, Coco. And it was not during the attack on Beacon; it was before that; ever since that doubles round something was off.” Fox kept his attention on Coco, but she did not appear to move or react.

“I brushed it off as a tough loss but then the Battle happened, and the military happened, and now the war. With every passing day, you grow distant. You barely talk to me, or anyone for that matter. You never come to me with what’s bothering you anymore. You just stay for yourself, bottling it all up, pretending to be strong. But it affects you, I can sense it, I can _see_ it. You’re a shadow of your former self, and you won’t let us in. But you can’t do it alone, can you? That is why you still call me over to your quarters when it gets too much. When things go bad, when you made a bad call. Like with Yang today. Or after Yatsu died. Or after we retook Beacon. You call for me to do what, Coco? Fuck the pain away? Help you forget about everything for a few hours? Is that what our partnership has come down to? Rough sex whenever you need it? Like I am a tool to be used?” Coco was still unmoving. Fox clutched his jacket in his hand, frustration building up in his chest.

“Damn, Coco! Say something!”

The silence stretched between the two and for a second Fox thought he would not get an answer. But then he noticed the tiniest movement from Coco and a barely audible voice.

“You did good work after taking over the harbor today, Sly.”

And with that, she fell silent again. Fox closed his eyes and took a few breaths. Then he turned around wordlessly and shut the door.

Now, he wished she had not said anything.

 

  
**Monday 4:45 p.m.**  
**About four years before F.B.**

 

“Ow,ow,ow, Daaaaaaaaad.”

“Hold still, Sweetie. This won’t get any easier with you whining and struggling.” Despite his words, Taiyang had some trouble holding back his laughter, and his daughter could tell.

“Stop laughing! This is not funny!”

“I’m not laughing.”

“You’re about, too.”

“You can’t prove anything.” He chuckled at Yang’s reflection in the mirror, pouting with her arms crossed.

It had been a relatively typical summer day in the Xiao Long household. Taiyang was scoring essays from his students as his eldest daughter quite literally burst through the door fuming with anger. Her long blond hair was still fuming from her semblance, and her face was about the reddest thing in the room. The title of the fullest red, however, went to the broad mass of gum entangled in Yang’s hair. So for the last hour, the pair was seated in the bathroom with Taiyang coating his daughter’s hair with olive oil and trying to remove the gum without doing too much damage.

“I still can’t believe you got this much gum into it.”

“Yeah, well. I got distracted, and Ruby blindsided me.”

“This stuff is partially burned into the hair!”

“ _Duh_. How do you think I reacted after I noticed what hit me? I was _so_ close to going nuclear.”

“No kidding. I am surprised, though. I figured, instead of me, you would ask Coco or the other girls to help you wash this out.”

“Pff, my friends, right.” Yang turned her head a bit and frowned. “Who do you think distracted me so that Ruby could throw that stuff in the first place? And Coco, my so-called _friend_ , just stood by, laughing her ass off.”

“Language, young lady. Let me tell you though, from my experience, you can always tell who your best friends are. They’re the ones laughing the hardest before helping you up.”

“Uh-uh. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, no offense.”

Taiyang worked in silence for a bit before he hesitated. His voice was reluctant and unsure. “Nevertheless, thank you for coming to me with this. After all the times I let you and your sister down, I wasn’t sure if you would ever …”

“Stop that, Dad.” Taiyang looked up as his daughter interrupted him. Yang’s reflection was staring at him intensely. “You shut down for a while, so what? We made it through and you are back now, and that’s all that matters.”

“Thank you, Sweetie.” Tai could not stop a small tear falling from his eyes as he smiled. “Honestly, can we cut the hair already? This is a disaster.”

“We’re _not_ cutting the hair!” Yang’s mane burst into flame and almost knocked Tai off his seat.

“Woah! Calm down, Yang! The oil is starting to boil!”

It took a few minutes until Yang had indeed calmed down and her eyes had returned to normal. Luckily her little outburst did not worsen the situation. Much.

“You know, I never asked why you react so strongly to your hair. I mean it’s beautiful and takes a lot of work every day to keep it that way, but I can’t shake the feeling that there is more too it. I figured it might have something to do with … Raven. You always wore pigtails before and only started to grow your hair out after you found that picture of her.”

“It has nothing to do with her. Or, maybe a little, but not what you think.” Yang looked down for a while collecting her thoughts. “I thought about that, you know? That I would kinda look like her with my hair grown out? I thought Raven’s hair looked pretty and I would rock it even better in blond, but then I realized people might compare me to her, as you did just now. And I didn’t want that. I want to be my own person, not Raven’s daughter, or Tai’s daughter or Ruby’s sister. I want to be me, and everybody should know who I am. So I tried to figure out who I wanted to be, what I should look like. But everything I tried, someone else had done before, so I was always _like_ someone. That bummed me out quite a bit you know. Didn’t really help that I was so angry at you for a while that I was about to strangle everyone calling me _your_ daughter. I am not someone’s daughter; I am me. Anyway, I’m rambling again.” Yang looked up again.

“What I am trying to say is, that I figured it doesn’t matter what has been done before. I am going to find my own style, my own way, my own identity. And everybody will know who I am. And no one will force me to change. Not Raven, not you, and certainly not some stupid gum. I am Yang Xiao Long. Period.”

Tai had a proud smile on his face as he locked eyes with his daughter.

“I am proud of you, my sunny little dragon.”

 

**Thursday 1755.**  
**Four months and two weeks after F.B.**

 

“She’s doing _what_?”

“I am telling you, Gadget. She’s lying on my starboard wing, staring holes in the sky. I don’t know what to do! She just showed up after I brought the boys home from Vale, climbed my bird and nested herself in. I tried talking to her, but she doesn’t say anything. I am worried, Gadget, do something!”

Velvet raised an eyebrow at the flustered squirrel faunus. “Calm down, Brush. I am sure Yang’s got her reasons. What I wanna know is why you called me? Shouldn’t somebody handle this who doesn’t have a problem with her? Sure, looks like a Mouser problem to me.”

Brush pouted with both her hands on her side. “You don’t have a problem with her; you have a problem with yourself, silly! And I can’t call Mouser; he’s her Major for crying out loud, how would that look?”

“Then, what about Sly?”

“Are you kiddin’ me, right now? You’ve been on a team with him and Shades for how long? _And_ you’re a Faunus! If you don’t know by now, you should probably have your senses checked. He got a call from her right after I dropped him off earlier.”

Velvet grunted in frustration. “This is _so_ not my problem …”

She tried to move away, but her way was blocked by a big, bushy tail with an angry pilot attached to it.

“Don’t gimme that high horse, tough lass crap! You’re her friend! She obviously needs one after that whole fiasco earlier. So stop your excuses and get your bun-bun up there!”

Velvet held Brush’s stare for about half a second before she had to surrender to the pilot’s rapidly closing forefinger.

“Urgh, fine. I’ll do it.”

Brush smiled brightly, clapping her hands together. “Thank you~.”

She shook her head and started to walk towards the landed bullhead, muttering to herself. “I swear, if that girl gets any sweeter she’s going to give me Diabetes. Now, how do I even get up there?”

It took only a minute until Velvet found herself a portable ladder and managed to climb on top of the airship’s wing. Sure enough, Yang was lying there in a mess of blond hair, with a forlorn look on her face. Eyes fixed in the sky it did not look like Yang had even registered Velvet’s approach. Which was fine with the faunus, since Velvet had no earthly idea what to say to Yang. The pep talk she gave the blonde earlier was one thing. The ‘heat of the moment’ kind of stuff that does not have to be all that good, as long as someone says something somewhat appropriate. This was different, this mattered.

Not knowing what to do Velvet just crawled over to Yang and lay down beside her, wordlessly. The both of them just enjoying the silence and the clear, star-filled sky. After a couple of minutes though, with Velvet none the wiser what she was going to say, Yang spoke up.

“Velvet. I need a favor.”

 

  
Bottles and bowls, combs and brushes, and several other utensils were scattered around the washbasin in the barracks’ community shower. Yang was sitting on a chair in front of the large mirror, observing Velvet who was meticulously spray bottling Yang’s blond mane with water and brushing the wet hair out. Yang exhaled deeply and closed her eyes, leaning back into the chair.

“You don’t have to go through with this, you know?” Velvet’s voice was low, almost somber.

Yang shook her head a bit. “I know, but I want to. I thought about it, and it’s the best solution, Velvet.”

“How is changing who you are the best option, Yang?”

Yang huffed at that, her head dropping low. “And who am I, Velvet? According to the world, I am a thug who attacked an opponent while he was already down. Broke his legs. Aggravated the Grimm. Caused so much suffering. I see it differently. And some people seem to believe me. You guys do, _I think_. But the world will never believe me. My own partner didn’t, so why would they?”

“Blake didn’t believe you.” It was not a question, and Yang did not answer either way. She just huffed again.

“Earlier, I thought about what I told my Dad once: That I wanted to find my own path, that I make myself into what I want to be. Nobody would force me to do anything I didn’t want. And the world would know who I am. Now they know. And now I know how naive I was. The world’s better off not knowing who I am.”

Velvet put the tools away to reach for the last object on the basin: a pair of scissors. Yang followed her movement with her eyes and, after a brief hesitation, nodded and closed her eyes again. Velvet stroked through Yang’s hair slowly, gathering enough of it in one hand. As she lined the scissors up, she could not help but feel a certain sadness overcome her. Yang’s blond mane was truly something to admire, something beautiful.

The faunus looked up one more time to see if Yang changed her mind. But the blonde just sat there with her eyes closed, waiting. And Velvet made the first cut. As the first bundle of hair fell to the floor so did Yang’s tears. Every cut from there felt more cumbersome to Velvet, but she could not stop now, that would be an even more significant pain. With the last cut and Yang’s hair reduced to mere neck length, the faunus wrapped her arms around the blonde, just holding her until the sobbing stopped.

“You okay, Yang?”

“Yeah.” Yang brushed away the last tears. “Thanks for helping me with this, Velvet.”

“You should not be thanking me for this.” Velvet shook her head and reached for a comb and different scissors. “Still, I know how much this means to you, and I am honored that you trust me with this. Now, let’s give you a pretty cut.”

As Velvet got to work refining her rough cut, silence spread amongst the two. It was quite a while before Yang spoke up again.

“You know, Velvet, I think Coco and I are not that different anymore.”

Velvet raised an eyebrow at that. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, it’s like you told me. She lost everything because of the war. Her name, her company, even her future, her identity. I am the same. My team’s gone, my family’s gone, and now my reputation is too. Only thing I can hope for is being a bit of use for the time being and get myself killed before the end of this war.”

“Don’t say stuff like that, Yang. You’re not going to die on my watch. Coco would have my ass.” Velvet chuckled a bit at that. “And you’re wrong. There is a difference between you and Coco. Coco chose to give up her company; she chose the war, this life. You didn’t have that choice. Others chose for you. That means you still got your choice, Yang. This war doesn’t have to be the end of you; you can still choose your life afterward.”  
  
Velvet worked in silence for a few moments until Yang made her hesitate with a question she did not expect.

“What about you? What did you choose?”

It took Velvet a moment to find an answer to that. “I chose this team. Team CFVY is everything to me. Before I met them I was lost, I didn’t feel like I belong. I felt worthless. They made me feel important, special. Helped me gain my confidence. There was no question for me what I wanted to do. Where I wanted to be. And with Yatsu gone … well, I guess it’s not really a choice how it ends, eventually.”

“Well, guess the rest of the guys and I will have to make sure, that it doesn’t end like that. You deserve a choice, too.”

“That would be nice, indeed.” Velvet smiled at that. “Now, about that color you wanted …”

 

  
“I hope this is worth it, Mouser. I got paperwork to do.”

“Relax, Shades; you do not want to miss this.” Mouser leaned smugly against a wall across the showers.

“You could at least tell me what we are doing here?” Coco seemed less pleased by the minute.

“Oh, you’ll see.” The barracks of the battalion were full at this hour with everyone about to get ready for sleep. Mouser had called Coco over a few minutes ago and she was honestly glad for the distraction. She let her gaze wander around the room, searching for Fox. Coco found the man lying in his bunk, hands folded behind his head, ‘staring’ at the ceiling. She let out a sigh and returned her attention back towards the shower area. Mouser had followed her gaze and raised an eyebrow at his leader’s reaction, but before he could ask, Velvet drew his attention.

The faunus came out of the showers balancing a bucket full of hair products and a large sack of hair in her arms. Before Coco could get a question out, someone else stepped into the room. The woman had very short hair, almost like a bob. Her hair was a dark brown, almost black, but one strand of blond streaked over her left eye, down to her chin. Lilac eyes found Coco and the way Yang looked at her with still slightly puffy eyes from crying told Coco the entire story. The silence in the barracks stretched as everyone was piecing everything together and Coco could tell that Yang was uncomfortable. It was time to do something about that.

“Would you look at that. Man, you clean up nice, Xiao Long.” Coco made her way across to Yang, boasting loud and cheery enough to break the silence. She even managed to prompt a few catcalls. “Like the style, kid. Though what’s up with the streak?”

Yang managed a weak smile towards her and then looked over to Velvet. “Well, we decided that not everything should be so final. Just a little reminder, that sometimes you might get to choose to go back.”

Coco lacked some context here but it sounded entirely too gloomy. There was a story behind that for sure, but for now, it was time for some light-hearted fun. “Call it whatever you like, I think we both know where you got that idea from. Try to copy my style?” Coco snipped at her own bronze streak for emphasizing.

Yang’s eyes widened and she looked questioningly to Velvet who just shrugged. “What? No no, we were not thinking about that, honestly.”

“Not very convincing there, Copycat.” Coco playfully tapped her chin. “You know what, I like the sound of that. We should keep it.”

That earned her quite a few laughs while Velvet just facepalmed, hard. Yang blinked a few times until it finally clicked. “Wait, what? That’s the name you came up with for me? That doesn’t even roll off the tongue!”

Coco put her eyes to the ceiling. It looked almost dramatic. “Hmmm, you’re right. It’s too rough. We need to shorten that a bit. Let’s make it CC. What do you ladies think?”

Some cheers erupted and Coco smiled brightly as Yang touched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “That’s even worse. Can’t you just …”

Yang was stopped by a forefinger bumping her nose. “Listen, CC. Either you take it, or we’ll morph it into _sissy._ Your call.”

And with Velvet bursting into laughter too, Yang knew she would not win this one. “Fine, CC it is.”

Coco smiled brightly and put an arm around Yang. “That’s our kitty. Now, how about we push curfew back an hour and get something to drink? This calls for a non-alcoholic celebration!”

And with a few less euphoric shouts about soda shots, Coco dragged Yang out of the barracks. The former blonde earning congratulation and fist bumps and she’d have lied to say that it did not lift her mood.

_Silly name or not, I guess I am truly part of this now. With that sentiment, I think I can grow used to it._


	18. Badged With Blood

**Monday 0625.**  
**Four months and three weeks after F.B.**

 

During the next few days, life seemed to give Yang a break for once. Except for a few jabs at, and Brush nearly having a heart attack about, Yang’s new hairdo, no one seemed to be concerned with it much. Granted that was not anything unusual. She figured out relatively quickly that the 7th had somewhat of an unspoken policy: Nobody gave a damn about who you had been and what you had done before joining up. A fresh start and all that. Yang figured someone had forgotten to mention that rule to the recruits. Nevertheless, after word came around about the harbor incident, coupled with Yang’s changed appearance, they caught on quickly.

They stopped avoiding her and started to ask Yang for advice in hand to hand combat. In short, the recruits began to treat her like the rest, and she could not be more happy about it. Well, she could be if the change had not come with essentially giving up her past self and turning a new leaf, but she took what she could get. Some had even asked her about what happened at the tournament. Yang had answered truthfully. Somebody messed with her perception, and she fell for it like an idiot. She then turned it into somewhat of a lesson about situational awareness so she would not have to think about that ordeal more than she needed.

The former blonde even got the chance to test her new self in the city again. Not in the harbor though since Coco thought it was pushing it, so soon after the last time and with her only having one arm and all. So instead she spent her Saturday dealing with disgruntled workers in the industrial district. That, however, improved her mood immensely because nobody recognized her.  
Today she was again scheduled for police duty and was about ready to head out when the universe threw her a curve ball.

“Alright ladies, change of plans.” Coco walked into the armory with Mouser and his trusty clipboard in tow. She unceremoniously dumbed her scroll on the conference table in the middle, and a projection of Vale and its surrounding lands sprang to life. An area in Forever Fall was marked red and extended at Coco’s touch. “We just got word of large Grimm in the area of the abandoned mines. A scout group stumbled upon them and sent a distress call, somewhere around here. “Coco gestured to a wide area near an old mining village. “We lost contact with them soon after. HQ decided it should fall on us to clear out these Grimm and hopefully find our missing Scouts. This is a hunter job, but since it’s a big area and our coordinates are lackluster we’ll improvise.”

Coco looked up from the map and let her eyes wander over her troops. “Doc get your gear. You’ll be our eyes in the sky in Brush’s bus. Make sure to have enough medical supply for the scouts in case we need it.”

“Extra supplies postulated by mission details. Reminder unnecessary.”

Coco fixed Doc with a cold stare for half a second before continuing. “CC, Gadget you take the south, Sly and I take the north.”

“Me?” Yang was taken aback by that. As Coco looked at her over her glasses, Yang cleared her throat. “Uhh, I mean. Me, ma’am?”

Coco’s expression didn’t falter. “Of course you. This is a four hunter job, and we only have three. Out of the rest, you got the most experience in fighting Grimm, so you’ll back up Gadget.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea, ma’am?” Yang’s eyes wandered to Gadget, whose expression was unreadable.

“Why is everyone assuming I run around, making suggestions? You’re ready. You’re doing this. That’s an order.”

Yang sprang into a sharp salute at Coco’s angry tone. “Yes, ma’am!”

“Good.” Coco slowly turned her gaze away from Yang. “Mouser and Butch will cover the industrial district for you two. Hacks that leaves you in charge of all the little rascals back in the base. Teach them some proper shooting while you’re at it. Questions? No? Then, let’s roll out!”

 

  
About an hour later Yang and Velvet were making their way through the forest of Forever Fall. Ironically ‘forever’ was a loose term and this time of the year the place should have been called Ordinarily Winter. Whatever may remain left of the name giving red leaves was covered by a thin layer of freshly fallen snow. With the trees having their branches laid bare it should have been easy to spot any large Grimm. Should being the operative word here since there was absolutely nothing, not even tracks in the snow.

“Seen anything yet?” Yang’s comm sprung to life with Coco’s voice.

“Negative Shades.” Brush’s always cheery voice answered “We circled the area six times now, and there’s nothing. Doc suggests widening the search area.”

“Permission granted. Expand the radius by a klick.”

“We got nothing either, Shades. Are we sure those are ground-bound Grimm?”

“Copy, Gadget. The report stated at least one Deathstalker. Just keep your eyes open for caves or ledges where they could hide. The snow is fresh; tracks might be covered.”

“Roger that, Gadget out.”

Yang saw Velvet tapping her earpiece and followed her into silence. The faunus had been very quiet the entire time, only communicating when necessary and Yang had a pretty good idea why that was the case. She checked her comm channel to make sure she was not transmitting before catching up to Velvet.

“Velvet? Can I ask you something?”

One of the faunus’ ears turned towards Yang and Velvet gave a short nod.

“Are you okay with me tagging along?”

That earned her some silence and just as she was about to write the topic off, Velvet answered weakly.

“I don’t mind you being here, Yang. It’s just that …” Velvet trailed off, but Yang knew what she wanted to say.

“I am not him.”

“Yeah.” Velvet hung her head a bit.

“Look, I don’t know if anything I could say would help you here. Just know, that I am not trying to replace Yatsu.”

Velvet sighed. “I know. That’s not what bothers me. Being here, on a partner mission, that just brings back memories.”

Yang placed her hand on Velvet’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. If you ever wanna talk about it…”

Velvet smiled briefly but straightened up soon after. “Yeah, well. Can’t be helped. We just got to deal with it, I guess.”

They entered a large clearing, and as Yang’s hand slipped off Velvet’s shoulder, another question came to her mind.

“If you don’t mind me asking. What happened to you, Velvet?”

At that, the faunus stopped and turned towards Yang. Her head tilted to a side.

“What do you mean? You know what happened.” Velvet sounded a bit angry.

Yang shook her head. “Sorry, not what I meant. I meant before Patch. Back at Beacon, you were so shy and timid. I rarely if ever heard you speak up or draw attention to yourself. And now you’re like … completely different. That’s not a bad thing, though. I mean if anyone could have used a bit more attitude back then, it was you. It’s just now, you seem … detached. And I wondered why that is.”

Velvet shifted her gaze to the side. Her ears drooped down as she was contemplating an answer.

“This war … it changes you, Yang. If you told me a year ago that you can get your entire being changed within less than half a year, I’d call you crazy. But these past four months … well. The Fall of Beacon, the riots and anarchy in the streets, the constant White Fang attacks, the retaking of Beacon, then there was that Dust convoy, and, of course, Patch … that’s too much, way too fast.” Velvet stopped to look at her hands. “But the tragedies are not all of it. There’s more to it than that.” She looked up again and found Yang’s eyes. “Tell me, Yang. Where you ever forced to kill someone?”

Yang’s eyes widened at the question. Her throat caught up, and she merely shook her head. Velvet looked back down to her hands, clenching them into fists.

“I have … blood on my hands. It didn’t happen at the Fall. Only atlesian Knights and Paladins, so nothing but oil and dust on these fingers. At the riots, us Hunters stepping in was not always enough. Sometimes we were too late, and we had to evacuate injured civilians, get them to safety. So I got the occasional civilian blood from injuries on me. That came off easy enough. But …” Velvet choked up a bit, “… there was a White Fang attack a bit later, after Glynda took control. They hit a shopping mall. Several hundred people died. This time the blood on me was from dead civilians. Not my fault, I know. It was the White Fang. Always the White Fang doing the killing. Until it wasn’t. A few days later we got a tip about an upcoming White Fang attack. So we struck first. And this time it was us doing the killing.”

Yang stayed silent. Sure, she wanted to know what had happened to Velvet but somehow she had not expected this.

“We came there almost too late. They had already attached bombs to the foundations of a theater. They were about to blow it up, so we had to act fast. Made sure no one could push any triggers. We mowed them down like wheat.” Velvet shook her head and turned to Yang. “It was hard to tell in that mess, but I still have the image of a dog faunus in my mind. My bullets hit him right in the head. Ripped it clean off. My hands were covered in blood that day. And there is the blood of your friends and comrades, dying in your arms, desperately clinging to you and life. Blood like that doesn’t wash off. It sticks with you, mixes with your own. Kill enough, see enough death and you can’t be sure which blood is yours anymore. Yours, the enemies’, your friends’, does not matter. Coco thought we could save a bit of ourself by becoming someone else, by not letting all this blood taint who we were, who we wanted to be. It doesn’t work that way. Our blood’s already changed. Even if we could go back, we ourselves wouldn’t be the same. How could we?”

Velvet turned around entirely, hugging herself for a while. She seemed lost, but Yang was too shocked to make a move. In the end, Velvet shook her head and looked at Yang with a crooked smile.

“When I cut your hair, you asked me what I chose. I said I chose my team, and that’s true, but I dodged your question a bit. The reason team CFVY chose to join the military was to protect people, innocent and allies alike. In a way, we _chose_ to get blood on our hands. So others wouldn’t need to. Because in the end, if you ask me whether I would kill those people again, given the chance, I’d say yes because it saved innocents. _My_ innocence died that day. And I got a medal for it. But hundreds of people lived. I made that choice. I stand by it. So how could I go back to how I was before and pretend I would not make the same choice again? If the Velvet I was or wanted to be had to die, if _Velvet_ had to die, to save those people … well then so be it. In the end, I still got _Gadget_ , right CC?”

Yang looked at Velvet’s pained smile. Everything she just heard should have confused her. It should have made her question herself, but somehow, Yang understood. She understood where Velvet was coming from, what the faunus had gone through. It also gave her the strange sense of clarity to see a glaring fault in Velvet’s logic.

“If it does not matter if we change ourselves or not because our past selves would make the same choices anyway … then what difference is there between Velvet and Gadget? Between Yang and CC?”

Velvet just shrugged. “No difference. _Every_ difference. What does it matter what we were or who we wanna be someday, while we live in the here and now anyway?”

Yang just rolled her eyes and tapped her chin. “It _does_! Switching between names all the time is confusing. I need to know what to call you! Velvet? Or Gadget? Or maybe Velget? Gadvet? Uh, I like the sound of that one.”

Velvet just burst out laughing. “Yeah right, got to work a lot harder to get me to that stage, kitten.”

Yang smirked and put her arm around Velvet’s shoulder as they continued into the clearing. “You do know a Copycat is not a real cat, right?”

“Oh, so you prefer sissy after all?”

“Cat jokes it is.” Yang joined in the laughter as well. “And for the record: When you’re smiling and laughing like that, I really like the new you.”

“Flattery won’t save you here, kit …” Velvet stopped abruptly, her ears turning back and forth, eyes scanning the clearing. Yang untangled her arm and instinctively took up position at Velvet’s back.

“Saw something, Gadget?”

“I don’t know. Thought I heard something. But it’s gone now.”

Both of them fell silent; attention replaced the carefree attitude from earlier. Yang’s eyes searched their surrounding. The clearing they found themselves in was surrounded by trees and rather flat, with two exceptions: there were some small, snow-covered hills as well as a ledge. The ledge spanned a bit more than half of the clearing and resulted in a bit of a drop. Other than that there was nothing. They stood there for what felt like minutes, but still, nothing happened. Until the wind changed direction. In the span of a second, a hill downwind and to Yang’s left erupted, and a massive Deathstalker charged at the two.

Yang and Velvet separated, both dashing away from the giant stinger crashing into the spot where they just stood. Yang’s Ember Celica extended over her armor, and she started firing long-ranged shells towards the Grimm’s head. On the other side, Velvet was in a crouch, unloading her sidearm into the beast while her weapon box began glowing. Unfortunately, the Deathstalker just shielded itself with both of his pincers, deflecting the shots effortlessley.

“Buy me some time, CC!” Velvet had her fingers on her earpiece, firing her sidearm one-handed. “This is Gadget! We’re getting attacked by a Deathstalker! A big bastard. Requesting assistance!”

As Gadget was calling for back-up, Yang started to move. She kept firing shells into the Grimm’s side, trying to flank him and draw its attention away from Velvet. It worked, and the over-sized scorpion turned around with a snarl, launching his tail towards Yang.

“Copy Gadget. Brush, how far are you out?”

Brush’s answer to Coco came immediately. “Five to your position, Shades. Ten to Gadgets.”

“Gadget, are the scouts with you?”

Yang barely dodged the stinger. She unloaded a few rounds into the ugly yellow thing, but that only seemed to agitate the Grimm. Velvet kept on firing her sidearm while on the comm.

“Negative, Shades. It set an ambush, no signs of the scouts. We can handle this thing for a while, but we might need some firepower to finish it off.”  
  
“Roger that. Brush, pick us up first. Double time.”

In the meantime, Yang managed to dodge a two-pronged pincers attack by sliding under the first and jumping over the second. Unfortunately, that kept her in the air like a fish out of water. She desperately tried to get her arm around to propel herself out of the way of the rapidly descending stinger. She was not going to make it in time. Suddenly something blue hit it with force, causing it to miss her. Yang landed in a roll and looked towards Velvet. The faunus was standing firm, firing something that looked like a blue copy of Nora’s grenade launcher. But now was not the time to question her partner’s weapon functionality. Still crouched, Yang reloaded and tried to gain the stalker’s attention again, but the Grimm had bigger fish to fry. It spun around and went after Velvet, who was coating it with grenades, blocking most of them with his pincers.

_Oh no, you don’t!_ Yang switched to Gravity rounds and fired behind herself. She struggled to keep a somewhat straight line of flight but hoped to reach Velvet in time.

In the meantime Velvet found herself with her back to the ledge. She vaulted to the side as the yellow stinger rushed towards her. She managed just in time to switch from Nora’s Magnhild to a massive tower shield, blocking one of the Grimm’s pincers on her right side. She felt herself getting pushed back by overwhelming strength. Her eyes widened as she saw the other pair of pincers coming towards her. But before the attack could reach her, Yang managed to close the distance in time and come up right in the middle of the Grimm’s right pincers. Ember Celica wedged between the base of the pincers, Yang’s Aura flaring around it as it tried to keep the arm from getting crushed. Velvet’s goggles blinked furiously as they indicated Yang’s aura being drained rapidly. She could have sworn she saw the edges of Yang’s hair starting to smolder, but shook that thought immediately as Yang called out to her.  
  
“That stinger is about to come down again, Gadget! Got any bright ideas?”

_Bright. Yang, you’re a genius!_

“Just one.” Velvet, still pressed against her shield and the other pair of pincers, drew her sidearm again and aimed it straight at the Deathstalker’s many eyes. “Flashbang.”

The sidearm switched ammo at the voice command right as the stinger was descending towards Velvet. A round of concentrated light dust hit the Grimm square in the face, and it wailed in pain. The pincers opened, and Yang used her now freed Ember Celica to catapult herself into Velvet, throwing them both out of the way of the Grimm’s stinger. That move, however, launched both of them over the ledge.

“Hold on!” Gadget reacted instantly to the command and threw her arms around Yang. Firing her gauntlet a few times to slow their fall, Yang shot again and spun them both around, planning on shielding Velvet from the impact. She smiled at her apparent success only to drop it instantly once she saw what was going on above them.

The impact of the Deathstalker’s stinger was too much for the ledge, and the entire rock formation came crashing down, along with the Grimm. Since the beast did not have the luxury of gravity dust, it was falling faster than the two soldiers. Its body crashed into the ground headfirst, along with a multitude of rocks. And the ground gave in. With a loud crash, the Grimm broke through the soil, descending further into what seemed to be a cavern. Yang had her head turned to the side, but she could not see much. But Velvet could, and she sprung into action.

“Bring us around, CC, ‘bout 45 degrees to my left. And try to hold us steady!”

“What are you doing, Gadget?”

Velvet just winked at her and conjured two large shotguns from her box. “Taking you for a ride.”

Yang swallowed and reached behind her back, firing a shell to her right, while Velvet propped herself up and essentially straddled Yang. The knockback of the blast was a bit too much, so they overshot her angle but that did not stop Velvet from laying into the falling Deathstalker. As she looked back, Yang saw what Velvet was trying to do. The Grimm was stumbling down, and his less armored underbelly was exposed. Already you could see black smoke coming from where Velvet’s shots had struck.

“More to my right, twenty degrees!”

Yang angled her shot different this time, getting Velvet closer to a straight shot. All the while the ground was approaching dangerously fast.

_Of course, that would be easier if she would not be trying to ride me like she’s in a damned movie from Vaccuo! I swear if she’s yelling yehaa …._

Yang’s thought process was cut short as a pained wail came from the Grimm, followed by a big cloud of black smoke.

“Yeeehaaaaa! Shoot low Sheriff! He’s ridin’ a Shetland!”

_Oh, for the love of …._

Yang reached up and pulled Velvet down. The Faunus threw her arms around her instantly, her shotguns dissolving. Yang fired another round to spin them around again. Now seconds from hitting the bottom of the cavern she continued to unleash Gravity shells into the ground, wiggling the both of them around heavily. It worked, though. Their fall slowed significantly, and with her last round, Yang threw them to the side. She put her arm over Velvet’s head, trying to protect her as much as she could and she could feel Velvet doing the same. Yang hit the ground first and hard; her aura broke immediately. They tumbled down a slant and through an underground river. Finally, the came to a halt, soaked with water but very much alive.

Yang was on her back, trying to find something that did not hurt. She opened her eyes but could only see through her left. It took her brain a second to register wet fur blocking her right eye as one of Velvet’s ears was draped over her. She tried to stand up but felt an extra weight, so she only managed to raise her head.

“Gadget. You’re alright?”

Velvet was lying atop of Yang. One arm still protecting the brawlers head, she moved her head around to get her bearings. Her eyes found Yang’s and she smiled crookedly.

“What do you know, CC. You _can_ get me wet after all.”

Yang just grunted as Velvet laughed and dropped her head back down. A few moments later their earpieces sprang to life.

“CC, Gadget, come in. We’re closing in to your last location, but there’s only a giant hole. Where are you? CC, Gadget, come in!”

Yang removed her hand from Velvet’s head and tried to tap her earpiece, but Velvet caught her by the wrist and guided her hand back up to the faunus’ head as Velvet settled herself down atop of Yang again.

“Just five more minutes, please.”

“Alright, alright.” Yang rolled her eyes.

_What the hell did I get myself into?_


	19. Down The Shower Drain

 

"I _always thought it was amazing how he could be calm in almost any situation. Didn't matter if it was in class during a test or on the field. Nothing could shake him. It was similar to how Coco seemed to be always in command of any given circumstance, but she had this natural confidence, that arrogance; it put me off sometimes. But he was different. He didn't brag or boast. He was just calm and solved the problem. He never made a scene; I never had to ask him for anything he just … knew, and then he was simply there and did what was needed. Geez, Velvet, that sounded dumb. But I can't really grasp this feeling with words. It's just that when I was around him, I could let my guard down, be myself, my silly, open-hearted self, that I had to hide so often so I won't get hurt. Because I knew he could deal with anything that came his way._

_I remember a mission towards the end of our first year at Beacon. Yatsuhashi and I were off scouting alone, and we ran into a couple of Beowolves. While I was finishing the last of them, an Ursa broke through the trees and barreled towards me. Yatsu intercepted it before I even noticed its approach. I remembered fondly how his arm muscles strained under the pressure the beast put on his sword. He was so strong; I don't believe that charge moved him back even an inch. There in the middle of a battle with a terrifying beast, I felt … safe. I knew nothing would happen_ with _him around and that gave me an overflow of confidence. Gosh, I do some stupid things when I feel invincible like that._

_I ran towards him and jumped over him. One hand on his shoulder plate I anchored myself and landed one hell of a kick in_ the _Ursa's face. The Grimm flew back so far, crashing through so many trees it was almost comical. And me? Well, my momentum_ let _me fall down right in front of him, and I just knew he would catch me. And that's what he did. Dropped his sword and all. And adrenalin-high, playful me figured it was a good idea to put my hands around his neck while he held me in a bridal carry._

_'My Hero,' I said with a stupid grin on my face, while he just smiled back down at me, fondly._

_'Be more careful, Velv. You could have cut yourself with my blade.' As if that had caused any damage to my aura. But he was always so concerned with my well being._

_'No need. I knew you got me.' I might have said something else silly but that Ursa came charging back. So I just winked at him, threw myself around in his arms and used his brought chest as a springboard to catapult myself at the Grimm. I cocked my fist back and called back over my shoulder: 'Besides, I know you'll never let me fall,' right before my fist connected with …_

… the wet shower tiles. Small cracks appeared around her fist.

_Stupid, Stupid, Stupid, STUPID …_

 

**Tuesday 0225.**

**Four months and three weeks after F.B.**

 

Warm water was rolling down Velvet's naked body as she stood there panting, her fist still planted against the wall.

_Don't think about Yatsu now, you idiot! It has nothing to do with him. You're trying to figure out why you acted like an idiot yesterday! Distracting yourself won't help with that._

She retracted her fist and slowly opened it. As she checked for injuries with her other hand, she tried to collect her thoughts again.

_Okay, from the top again. You fell back into your old routine, no big deal. That has nothing to do with Yang. You were on a partner mission with her and lost in thought. She talked to you about it. That's normal; everyone would do that. Alright, maybe not everyone, we can give her that. That was a lucky shot anyway to figure out what was bothering you right away. Heck, she didn't even get it right, it wasn't about her. Maybe she thought that because she knew you had a problem with her?_

_Wait, had? Don't I still have one?_

Velvet closed her eyes and leaned her head back, water hitting her face, cascading all over her body.

_Huh. Guess I don't dislike her anymore. She's obviously been through a lot and came out worse for wear. I can't be mad at her for that. Doesn't mean I like her though! I think. Then why did I feel like I could let go_   _around_   _her? That had to be because I was vulnerable. The whole thing reminded me of being partnered with Yatsu. That makes sense right?_

_Of course, it does. You let your guards down, silly hare. Also, opening up about the past months and how you feel didn't help._

_Hey, she_ asked _! It was kind of her to listen though._

_Yeah, right. In the middle of the forest after_ she _asked the question. Naturally, she listened. What did you expect her to do?_

_I don't know. I still found it sweet. No one really asks me. Except for Coco and Fox, maybe. And that joke was really funny._

_A sexual innuendo? Really, Velvet?_

_What? A girl has needs, and I am allowed to harmlessly flirt!_

_Oh? So you were flirting with her?_

Velvet let out a frustrated grunt. Her head fell into her hands in a feeble attempt to stifle an incoming headache.

_That's not what I meeeean. Of course, I flirted. I always flirted with Yatsu, too! Whenever he was around, I could be myself. And that includes harmless flirting!_

_Only harmless, because you never follow it up anyways …_

_Oh, shut up! Why would I follow it up! I don't_ like _-like Yang! I just felt like I was with Yatsu again because I thought about him earlier and because of the situation we were in. The rest is only memory and adrenalin! I do follow things up when I like somebody!_

_Right, you totally did that with Yatsu too while I was not looking, I am sure._

_Hey! That was uncalled for!_

_Apologies. But hey, you essentially straddled Yang yesterday. That surely counts as second base, aye?_

_Oh my gosh, I totally forgot that I did that._

Velvet put her head against the cold tiles. Her long hair and faunus ears dangled loosely as she slowly bashed her forehead against the smooth surface. "I'm such an ass."

 

 

"Worrying about your bun, bun? Yeah, hate to break it to you, sister, but that tiny excuse of an ass you got there, won't get bigger anytime soon."

Velvet just tilted her head a bit and lifted a floppy ear out of the way to see Hacks approach. The dark-skinned woman had her braids undone and carried nothing more than a towel and two bottles of shampoo. Oh, the wonders of utterly open military community showers without stalls.

"I'll never get that. You people have a strange fascination with big butts." Velvet huffed undignified.

Hacks had taken the shower next to Velvet but paused and turned at this. A hand on her rather significant backside, she cooked an eyebrow at Velvet with an irritated expression.

"And what do you mean by 'You people'?" Hacks crossed her arms under her breasts and stared a hole into Velvet for half a minute until both women started to laugh. "Anyway, Gadget. What got you up so early? Judging by our resident lumberjack and her attempts to saw enough two-by-four's to build the worst Grimm cage, I expected you to be equally dead after your mission."

Velvet rolled her eyes as she watched the other woman turn on her shower. "Couldn't sleep. Got stuff on my mind. And cut CC some slack. We were this close to just call her C after what that Deathstalker tried to do to her."

"Shit, that bad? I heard there was some trouble, but I didn't expect it to get that rough."

"I may have exaggerated a bit. It got a bit hectic, but we got it handled. Still, must have been the biggest Deathstalker I ever saw. Old too, it set a trap and everything. And after that, we still had to complete the mission and search for survivors. Not that we found any. "Velvet turned around and enjoyed her hot shower again. "'Sides should I not be asking you the same question? Why are you up already?"

Velvet heard a pained growl from Hacks. "Ha! As if! I'm _still_  up. I only now finished all the paperwork from training the recruits yesterday. What a pain in my ass."

"That long? What did you even do with them, that there was so much paperwork?

"Weeeeeell," Hacks rubbed her neck sheepishly, "There may have been an incident with a rocket launcher and the sunroof of the shooting range."

"The shooting range does not have a sunroof."

"Now it does." Hacks let out a deep laughter. "Shades said I should teach them to shoot, so I started with the most difficult and dangerous thing to shoot. Therefore, there won't be any accidents later because they can shoot the big stuff already. I mean nobody cares about getting shot by a pistol. A rocket on the other hand … see? Much safer this way."

Velvet was currently facepalming. "There's so much wrong with that statement; I can't even … "

Hacks waved her off. "Yeah, yeah whatever. More importantly: why are you under a shower cooling off? Was your alone time with CC a bit too much for your lonely heart?"

Velvet turned around slowly, the water hitting her on the side of the face, but she did not seem to care at the moment. " _What_?"

"Ah come on, Gadget. We all know she's a looker, even without the arm. I mean have you seen her rack? Figured you two alone, in the woods … come on, surely you thought about it? 'Sides when was the last time you got thoroughly nailed? I mean with Big O dead and all … "

Hacks never got to finish that sentence. In an instant Velvet was upon her throwing the shocked woman against the wall with surprising strength. The faunus eyes were filled with rage as she trapped Hacks between the unyielding tiles and her body. A headbutt soon followed, dazing Hacks and damaging the human's nose.

"What the hell, Gadget! I … "

Another headbutt on the same spot, this time something cracked, and blood came spilling. "Don't you  _dare_  talk about him that way! You hear me?" Velvet was seething with anger by now.

"Fuck! That hurts,god damn, fucking …," another angry shove into the tiles, "alright, I am sorry, okay? It was just a stupid joke! I didn't mean anything by it, Gadget! I swear."

Velvet did not seem convinced, but then her eyes widened as she realized what she was currently doing. She let Hacks go, the human sliding down the tiles onto her knees, carefully tending to her nose. Velvet backed away, reaching for her towel and started walking. She stopped only briefly.

"Sorry," she mumbled, "try activating your aura and focus it around the nose. That should help."

Then she was out, leaving a naked and bleeding Hacks alone in the shower drain.


	20. Taking A Leap

**Tuesday 0600.**

**Four months and three weeks after F.B.**

 

 

When Coco came to the barracks a few hours later, Velvet had not managed to catch some sleep. The entire time Velvet was just lying there, staring at the ceiling, caught up in her thoughts. And her embarrassment. Mostly that to be honest. She did not move earlier, when Hacks came out of the shower, trying to patch herself up with a first-aid kit. She knew she should not have hit Hacks, of course, then again she felt at least somewhat dignified by what the other woman had said. She'd probably have to apologize later, though. A sniper was not someone who you want to hold a grudge after all.

Unfortunately for the faunus, breaking Hack's nose was not the only problem she had right now. That whole ordeal certainly did not help with her figuring out why she started flirting with Yang all of the sudden. Her best guess was still that she was projecting Yatsu onto the former blonde, but she was no closer to figuring out why Yang reminded her of him in the first place.

Before Velvet could continue her train of thought though, Coco had reached the center of the room and called for attention.

"Alright ladies, listen up. We got business as usual today, but first, we got to deal with something … Hacks! What the hell happened to your nose?"

_Ohhhh boy._  Velvet looked on nervously as Coco addressed the sniper.

"Stayed up late to finish the reports, ma'am. Tried to grab a quick shower and be stealthy about it so I would not wake anyone up. Tripped over my feet like an idiot."

"And you fell and broke your nose. That's what you are trying to tell me, Specialist?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Coco seemed not entirely convinced but decided not to follow it up. "Right. Let Doc have a look at that asap. Can't have our sniper breathing funnily."

"Understood, ma'am."

Velvet blinked twice at the exchange. She was surprised that Hacks did not sell her out after what happened.  _Maybe she was just trying to make a joke after all. Now I really have to apologize and make it up to her._

"Now, where was I? Ah yes. CC, Gadget, step up."

Velvet froze for half a second, unsure what this was about. She found Yang's eyes as they both made their way to Coco and she looked just as lost as Velvet herself. As both stood attention in front of their Colonel, Coco let them stew a bit before speaking up again.

"As you all know the rescue mission we were sent on yesterday was less successful than we hoped." Velvet had trouble suppressing a grunt.  _Great, she's going to chew us out for failing to rescue those scouts. Like we could have done anything about that._  But Coco continued. "However, after HQ read my report and analyzed the visual data provided they concluded that there was nothing we could have done to save the scouts."

Velvet could not help but breath out in relief at that So they were not about to get chewed out after all. Coco was just trying to keep up morale and …  _Wait. What visual data?_

"While that is certainly a relief to some of you, I figured we might require a little pick-me-up. So I asked for access to the old Beacon Database to compare the visual data from CC's and Gadget's combat glasses about the Deathstalker with …."

Velvet drowned out the rest of what Coco was saying as her stomach dropped in realization.  _The combat glasses record everything! How could I forget that? I built those things! Wait. Oh no. Oh, no no no no no. That means Coco_ saw _! The flirting, the awful puns … oh gods … she saw the straddling, too._  Velvet was blushing profusely and almost missed Coco finishing her speech.

"… and cross-referencing that I was able to determine that you two are now the proud owners of the record for the biggest Deathstalker killed within Vale's borders. Congratulations!"

Velvet still did not have all her wits together as people started cheering. Yang playfully bumped shoulders with her and the faunus somehow managed an awkward smile and a passable nod.  _Smooth Velvet. Surely, nobody saw that. Maybe Coco wouldn't make a big deal out of your flirting after all._

"Now, if you expect a medal for that, don't get your hopes up. I did, however, decide that you two deserve the day off. So, there. Enjoy."

Yang gave her a bright smile and then proceeded to high-five people around her, while Velvet enjoyed the fact that she dodged that particular bullet. At least until she heard someone whisper in one of her faunus ears.

"Make the most of this, Gadget. But please, the next time you'll go all CC rider on her, do it so I don't have to review the  _footage_."

As Coco winked and walked away, Velvet was frozen to the ground, fairly certain all the blooded needed to move her legs was comfortably rushing to her face.

 

 

A few minutes later and the battalion had cleared out for today's duties. Velvet, in the meantime, had managed to get her blood properly circulating again and found herself alone in the barracks. Not entirely alone that is. Yang was still here as well. Currently, the object of Velvet's confusion was sprawled out on its bed, face down.

"Urgh. Not that I'm complaining, Gadget, but couldn't Shades have told us yesterday? We totally could have slept in!"

Velvet let out a short laugh as she walked over to Yang's bunk. She leaned against the wall and shook her head at the brawler's display. "I am honestly surprised you're still sleepy, CC. You slept like a log."

Yang turned her head to the side and looked up to Velvet. "It's winter. I'm allowed to hibernate."

Velvet raised an eyebrow at that. "If anything, shouldn't I be the one hibernating then?

"Don't be silly! Hares don't hibernate."

"Actually, I'm a ha … oh, you got it right." Velvet was honestly surprised at that. Even people that knew her better still got that wrong. "Anyway, even if hares don't hibernate, neither do cats, CC."

"Ah. Back to the cat jokes, I see."

Velvet couldn't exactly place what tipped her off, but she sensed a slight shift in Yang's mood after she said that. Her fellow soldier masked it well, and maybe the faunus got it wrong, but she felt the need to pry.

"The jokes bother you." It was not so much of a question, more like an inquiring statement.

"Huh? Oh, no, no. It's fine." Yang propped herself up and sat on the edge of the bed. "It's nothing, just … it's stupid, really. I used to make jokes like that. With … someone else."

"Ah. You mean Blake."

"Yeah … I used to tease her about it after we found out that she … wait. How do you know she's a faunus? She never took off her bow!" Velvet's blood ran cold as Yang tilted her head in question.  _Oh crap! You can't tell her how you and Shades found out just yet. Think of something, quick!_

"Oh, that was easy. Faunus are usually able to recognize each other. Especially since she's a cat and I'm a hare. Gotta hide from the predators, you know." Velvet thought she managed to sound casual enough for Yang to buy it.

"Huh. Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Plus, she wouldn't need to hide from other faunus anyway." Yang nodded in thought. _Smooth again, Velvet. Bullet successfully dodged. Bit racist with the predator stuff, but whatever works, aye?_

"So, yeah. The jokes don't bother me, it's cute actually. Still, every time, I feel this little bang, that reminder of Blake … and what happened."

"I can stop, you know. Tell the others, too."

Yang shook her head decisively. "No. Keep using them. I can't freeze up every time something reminds me of a cat. Got to get used to it. If I dwell in the past and let the past control me, I will never be able to get better. Like you said, gotta live in the now, right Gadget?"

"Right."  _She_ is _right you know. Sometimes you should try listening to your own advice, Velvet. You can't figure out why you felt save to flirt with her by digging in the past._

"So, Gadget. What's your plan for today? Gotta use all that free time you got somehow."

_Oh, what the hell. Only one way to really find out how I feel._

"Well, obviously, I got nothing planned since I only found out today, but I figured I could blow off some steam. Leave the base for a bit. You're welcome to join if you want."

"What you got in mind, Gadget?"

"There's a club in town I frequent from time to time. Figured we could clean up nice and hit the town. Drinks and dancing should prove a nice change of pace."

Now it was Yang's turn to look surprised. "You hit the clubs? Color me surprised! No offense, but I never figured you for the type."

Velvet shrugged at that. "Yeah well, it is a more recent development. So? You're in?"

"Well, I got to go shopping then. I don't really have a club-worthy outfit, but other than that … yeah. I'm in."

"Great! Meet me at the gates at seventeen hundred. And wear something nice, kitten."

Velvet winked, and Yang laughed as the two bumped fists in agreement. As the faunus walked back to her bunk, she had a crooked grin on her face.

_Never been clubbing with Yatsu before. So there's no way I would draw parallels there. Guess it's time to figure out if I was really just projecting or if it was something else._

 

 

As she watched Velvet walk away, Yang couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

_I don't get her. Granted a lot happened since we had that talk outside of the LZ but this? From hating me to asking me to go clubbing is a huge leap. And what's with all the flirting? I mean, there's an obvious answer to that, but that can't be it, right? That would be an even more significant leap, so don't kid yourself, Xiao Long. She's doing exactly what you would have been doing back before the Fall. Trying to cheer you up, getting you to relax, to get out there. Still, I don't know if it's funny or tragic how this war changed our personalities. Now she's the flirty, playful one and I am the brooding, silent type._

Yang shook her head and turned to her locker, looking at her clothes.

_Or maybe she was like this all along? Not like I really knew her back then. Doesn't matter. As she said, we gotta live in the now, right? And right now I need a new outfit._

She looked from her locker to her stump and back and sighed deeply.

_Alright, way more than one outfit._

 

 

Several hours later Yang and Velvet were walking through Vale, heading towards the edge of the harbor district. Yang had spent the better half of the day shopping for clothes and had managed to expand her wardrobe drastically. Right now, she was wearing light-brown leather boots under dark brown, boot-cut jeans. A form-fitting, short trench coat in another tone of lighter brown made sure she wouldn't freeze to death before they even arrived. She instantly liked this particular coat since she could easily roll up the sleeves to prevent the right arm from dangling loosely, without it looking utterly crumbed. Of course, there was more going on with her outfit but that had to wait for the warmth of a club.

If she was being honest, she had to admit that she rather enjoyed going shopping for clothes again. It was such a simple thing, something she did all the time in the past, but now it felt like an accomplishment. Her new look allowed her to mostly walk freely through Vale without being bothered now. And it felt  _great_. Nobody paid much attention to her, aside from the occasional stare towards her missing arm, but those stares she could handle. She could pretend to be a relatively normal young woman for once. Without being judged. It was a fresh start indeed, and Yang loved her newfound anonymity.

Yang looked over to Velvet. The faunus had opted for a thick, beige winter coat that essentially covered everything. A cute, dark red beanie with holes for her faunus ears sat on her long, open chocolate brown hair. Yang wondered what kind of outfit Velvet would wear into a club, but it seems she had to wait until they arrived to figure that one out.

Fortunately, she did not have to wait much longer as Velvet rounded a corner. "There we are."

And Yang instantly froze.

_Oh, fuck all kind of duck …_

In that instant, Yang became painfully aware that she neither had paid the slightest bit of attention to where they were going nor asked Velvet the name of the club. And as a result, she was now left watching after the faunus who steadily approached an all too familiar site.

_Junior's Club._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and leave a big thank you for following this story!
> 
> It means a lot to me, thank you. 
> 
> P.S: The script of the next Chapter is one of the first I made way back in the day, so I'm excited to share that one. Finger's crossed that it'll turn out close enough to what it looks like in my head xD. 
> 
> P.P.S: @SumoSnipe told you, that you called that Elvis reference ;)


	21. Desperate Times ...

**Tuesday 1720.**

**Four months and three weeks after F.B.**

 

 

"You coming or what?"

Yang stood frozen in front of Junior's Club, her mind racing way too fast to make coherent thoughts. Velvet had taken a few steps and was now looking back at Yang, waiting for an answer.

_Oh no, this can't be happening. This will end so bad. Junior's the type to surely hold a grudge, and I left my weapon at the base. Plus, I don't even know if I can take on the twins with one arm! If someone recognizes me then … wait. I look completely different now! Even the arm, they don't know about that. Nobody will know who I am if I play it cool. I mean, if I can pull this off here, I can pull it off anywhere! It's the perfect test run. 'Sides I got Velvet here to bail me out._

"Coming!" Yang caught up to Velvet with newfound vigor and fell in step at the faunus side. "Sorry 'bout that. I got cold feet all of the sudden. Haven't really done this since … you know."

Velvet offered her an understanding smile. "No worries, I get it. Truth be told, I was quite surprised that you agreed to tag along. I expected you to rather sit this one out. You're really up for this?"

Yang chuckled and hooked herself onto Velvet's arm. "Cute girl asking me out on a date? I'd be crazy to decline!"

The faunus giggled. "Flattery is a good method to deflect a question, I suppose. But there is a prize to be paid for that." She smiled smugly as she drew Yang closer. "By calling this a date, you just opened a door for me. I get to act all lovey-dovey now, kitten. I'll embarrass you all night and prevent you from scoring anything."

"Oh, the horror! Somebody, rescue me from this horrid prospect." Yang kept up appearances by whining dramatically, but truthfully she was rather glad that Velvet dropped the subject.

There was a small queue in front of the club but neither Velvet, who walked right past with Yang on her arm, nor the bouncers, who just nodded and let them through, seemed to care about it. The inside was just as Yang remembered it. Right past the entrance there was an area where you could leave coats and other dance-preventing accessories for safekeeping. She gladly shed her coat; the club already providing a nice cozy warmth.

With the coat gone she checked herself briefly in a provided mirror. Yang was wearing a white blouse that left her shoulders and midriff free. Its sleeves were only long enough to cover her stump and reach her elbow, respectively. The cut was deep enough to certainly result in some lewd glances at her goodies. Finishing the ensemble were a golden brooch over her heart and three golden arm cuffs on her left arm, one on the wrist the others above the elbow and in the middle of her forearm. They were connected by several silver, copper, and gold colored chains that sparkled in the light. This was probably not a look the old Yang would have chosen, but it served a specific purpose. At least that what Yang hoped it would, she asked Coco to get her pay prematurely this month to afford all of it, after all. Along with her new short dark brown hair, she could barely recognize herself. Still, she made sure her blond strand was safely tugged over her left eye.

Content with her look she turned around towards Velvet only to freeze again, though this time for an entirely different reason. Velvet was wearing a simple, snug, dark brown mini-dress that barely reached her thighs. With the dress' high neckline it should have covered everything except the faunus' arms, but Yang had the distinct feeling that, had it not been for the opened small blue jeans jacket with short sleeves, she would have no problem describing Velvet's curves in great detail. Small heeled, tight leather boots that went over her knees, showing just enough of Velvet's thighs, brought her up to Yang's height.

_Oh, my … wait. Why, am I blushing?_  Judging by Velvet's big grin, Yang had been staring for a bit too long. The Faunus had one hand planted on her side, taunting Yang smugly. "What? You didn't think that two years as a fashion designer's personal dress-up doll wouldn't leave a mark?"

Yang shrugged her surprise off as fast as she could. "Oh, yes … I mean no. I mean … you look amazing, Gadget."

Shaking her now beanie-free, long hair out for emphasize Velvet trotted over and re-hooked herself to Yang's arm. "Thanks, kitten, I know." Velvet winked and Yang rolled her eyes at the overacted presentation. "But not as good as you, I have to say. I never knew you as one to accessorize. It suits you."

Yang shrugged as they started towards the main hall of the club. "Let's just say that you're not the only one who picked a few things up from Shades."

As the girls reached the dance floor, Yang was surprised to see the club being decently crowded. She figured it was still too early in the day for so many people, human and faunus alike, to show up and promptly voiced that thought, trying to shout over the booming music.

"Things change, CC. In the past, people went clubbing to have a fun night and drink the night away. These days people go to clubs to unwind and forget, that can happen anytime in the day. It's the main reason the club is open 24/7 these days."

That particular piece of information surprised Yang. She always thought Junior was only using the club as cover for his shady business practices. _Having it open 24/7 should complicate that, right? So why do it?_  The man in question soon came into view as Velvet guided them around the dance floor and towards the bar Junior was manning. Yang felt a bang of nervousness as she saw Junior looking their way briefly.

"Are you sure you're alright in here?" Yang leaned in and tried to make herself heard over the music. "I mean, it  _is_  very loud."

Velvet just rolled her eyes. "Yes, I hear a lot better with my extra ears, and no, it is not a problem. I learned to fade most noises out. Otherwise I never would have gotten an hour of sleep thanks to Shades and Sly."

Yang nodded in understanding. While mentally hyping herself up and convincing herself that she can keep her disguise up she almost missed a couple of Junior's goons nodding towards Velvet in a silent greeting.  _Huh, I guess she really does frequent here._  And as if to prove her point she heard the very telltale voice of a certain pair of Twins.

"Gadget! Lookin' fi~ne, gurl. We, like, totally missed you~." Melanie and Miltiades Malachite were on a small platform at the corner of the dance floor, waving over to Velvet and dancing closer together than any sibling should, ever. They did not seem to notice Yang at least, which was a plus.

"Mel! Miltia! Hi! Keep the floor hot, girls! We'll catch up later." Velvet happily waved back and once again Yang was asking herself if her perception of the faunus was wrong all this time or if she really changed that drastically.

Before she could ponder on that subject longer, they reached the bar. Velvet smoothly slid onto a stool and got Junior's attention. "Yo, Junior! I'll take the usual."

Yang started to prepare herself mentally. She had thought of a general course of action how she would approach this. Now was the time to execute it. "I'll take …." Before she even got to finish that sentence, Junior put a glass of whiskey in front of Velvet and a drink in front of Yang. A strawberry sunrise. No ice. And a little umbrella.  _Shit._  Yang threw him a confused look but Junior only laughed.

"Don't look so surprised, Blondie. I'm a barkeeper; I remember what people drink. 'Sides I saw you two the moment you came in."

Velvet leaned on the bar throwing looks between Junior and Yang. "Oh, you two know each other?"

Junior nodded. "Of course, Gadget. We had business together, sort of. It went sour, she wrecked my club, I ripped her hair, she broke my jaw … the usual."

Velvet seemed to be contend with that and Yang finally managed to snap out of her initial shock. "Wait a second, Junior! How did you even know it was me?"

Junior stretched his arms out. "Come on, Blondie. Who do you think you're talking, too. I dig the new look, but it'll take more than that to throw me off. Also, I heard what happened at the docks. Tough shit, my sympathies."

_Welp, so much for being incognito._  Yang sighed. "You heard about it and did some digging. That's how you figured out how I look now."

Junior smirked at that. "Well, I  _am_  quite good at getting information."

"Yo! Can this reunion wait until  _after_  we clinked? A girl is trying to drink here." Yang could not help but chuckle at Velvet's outburst but promptly raised her drink for the faunus to touch glasses.

"So, what do you go by these days? Blondie doesn't seem to fit anymore, after all." Junior's question raised another perplexed look from Yang. "Oh, come on! I know how Shades operates. You Addicts all have your new names, right? So what's yours?"

"No one called me Blondie, except for you by the way. And it's CC." Yang conceded, taking another sip from her sunrise.

"CC huh? Yeah, that figures. You did kinda copy Shades' style there a bit. What's it stand for? Carbon Copy?"

"Good one," Velvet spluttered, "but no, she's our little kitty now." Velvet laughed as she quickly dodged Yang's half-hearted punch.

"So, Copycat then. Got it. Seriously, you need to stop Shades from naming stuff. She sucks at it."

"Word." Velvet raised her glass in agreement and Yang was busy loosing every bit of control she thought she had walking into the club. Junior was lingering around them now, having poured himself some scotch. One of his goons was handling the bar now.

"I am confused. If you knew who I was … why did you let me in? Last time you guys literally barricaded the place to try and keep me out. And now after the whole tournament thing …" Yang trailed off a bit and Junior took the chance to interrupt her.

"First of all, I don't care what the TV said. I saw you use your damned gauntlets on my goons, blasting them with punches and shotgun rounds, but still maintaining enough control to only hit them with enough force to barely take out the little excuse of an aura they possess. That means it was not an accident and you 'forgot' his aura was down. And you're not the type for assault. Sure, you can be a thug but beating a downed opponent is not your style. That leaves a setup and knowing what happened after that … that seems the most likely scenario."

Yang was stunned. There was a criminal, one she had beaten up no less, believing in her while the whole city, people who did not even know her, think she was a terrorist.  _Even people, friends who do know me didn't believe me_. The entire world seemed to be out of whack lately and Yang just let out a pained laugh because of the absurdity of it all. Still, it felt good to hear that someone trusted her.

"Man, this day is not progressing as I thought it would. Hey, Junior? Thanks, man. I can't tell how much I needed to hear that."

She offered him a genuine smile and received one in return. "You should talk to the twins then. They were even faster in calling the whole thing bullshit." Yang turned around to look at the Malachite twins dancing with the crowd. Another smile tugged at her face.

"Now, where was I?" Junior continued. "Ah, yes. Secondly, I don't need to barricade the club. You're no threat anymore."

And just like that Yang's good mood evaporated. She stood abruptly, her barstool clattering to the ground, an angry snarl on her face. "What did you just say?"

Before she could jump the bar to rearrange Junior's dental configuration she felt a warm hand on her chest. She stopped and looked over to its owner, Velvet casually sipping from her whiskey as she halted Yang's advance. "That politically incorrect genius did not mean your arm, kitten. Heck, even he knows you can still kick his butt, no sweat. What he means is that you won't get to wreck his club again, because he got someone protecting him."

Yang's anger did not subside at that; on the contrary, the challenge even fueled it more. "Oh, yeah? And who would that be?"

"Well," Velvet stood up and faced Yang, "that would be me."

Yang blinked a few times as she looked into Velvet's crooked smile, her anger being rapidly exchanged with confusion. After a few seconds of Yang just standing there as if her brain needed to reboot Velvet rounded her and picked up Yang's barstool, placing it where it once stood. She then proceeded to lay her hands on Yang's exposed shoulders, soothingly coaxing the brawler to sit down.

"Calmed down again, kitten?" Velvet took Yang's fist into both of her hands, gently trying to get it to relax. "I guess we owe you an explanation."

Yang somehow managed a nod and Velvet started to explain.

"During the Uprising many clubs and bars got demolished. Others simply got abandoned as their owners left or went out of business since they did not have the connections to keep the booze flowing. Junior here had those connections and strong enough goons to keep the place going. After everything settled down the risk of a Grimm attack was still high, with all the negativity floating around. Therefore distractions like this club became essential to boost morale, get people to relax. I mean just look around. See those people? Look at them. I mean _really_  look at them." Yang did and Velvet continued. "Those are not happy drunks, having fun and enjoying life. These people are here to sink their sorrows into drinks and dance the pain away. If only for a bit."

Yang had to admit that Velvet had a point. Now that she looked closer she could see the difference. It seemed the only apparently happy people on the dance floor were the twins and some other club dancers on platforms, and those were clearly paid to look and act happy. Everyone else moved … awkwardly, as if they had to force themselves to do it.

"Of course, having a positive effect caused trouble." Yang looked back to Junior who continued the explanation. "The White Fang. They were targeting every big assembly of people to cause more panic and attract Grimm. I knew my time was limited before they tried to take me down, too. So I reached out to the military to help me out. My sources inside the Fang gave me a rough time frame to work with so I figured I could convince the army to lay a trap for them. Unfortunately, neither Goodwitch nor the commander of the 7th battalion, who was in charge of the police in this district, wanted to listen to me."

Yang looked confused between Velvet and Junior. "Wait, but if Shades didn't want to listen to you, how come there is a deal?"

Velvet shook her head. "You got your dates mixed up, CC. This was before the menagerie dust deal. Shades was not in command back then, Peach was. And Peach was a great huntress and a good teacher but she was not a good commander. Shades is."

"So, you are telling me that the military didn't make a deal with Junior, Team CFVY did?"

Velvet just raised her glass at that and Junior continued. "Shades' a smart girl. She realized the value of being on the good side of an information broker. The deal was simple. CFVY keeps an eye on my club and I keep an eye out for any information they could need. They were also around during the time we expected an attack and when it came, they made short work of the Fang. Since Shades' in charge now, we expanded that deal quite a bit. The army keeps out of my hair and has a blind eye for this area of the city. I can still call for help but now I am able to freely operate in parts of the harbor. That means I can get certain goods smuggled past the authorities and sell them for a profit. In exchange, I make sure that those goods include enough essential stuff like medicine and dust to keep the local hospitals and stuff running. Also, I still provide any crucial information I can gather."

"Right." Yang huffed. "Am I to believe that you are such a good citizen that you do that out of the wish to help and not just because it makes you a profit?"

"Don't be naive, CC, of course it's about the profit." Junior laughed at that. "It's how the system works. I keep my business running and make cash and Shades got her 24/7 positivity place, information and crucial resources to normal prices. And don't look so apprehensive. You should know that I am not that bad of a guy. Or do you think a real cold-hearted criminal would have let you get away with property damage and assault without consequences? I'm a big softy, after all."

Velvet chuckled at that and Yang looked over at her, an unspoken question lingering between them. After a few heartbeats, Velvet conceded.

"What do you want me to say, CC? The world has gone to shit. Deals like this keep the city afloat. Junior's information is solid. We saved a lot of lives preventing White Fang attacks before they happened. And with normal world trade essentially gone we need a source for imported goods. We won't get a better deal than this."

Yang pondered that for a while and sighed deeply. "I think I get why people come here and just dance till they forget. I think I'll go do that, too." She downed the rest of her drink in one go before turning to Velvet. "You coming?"

"Sorry, kitten. I can't dance."

"What?" Yang laughed at that. "You kiddin' right? It's really easy; I'll show you." Yang grabbed the faunus' hand and tried to pull Velvet down to the dance floor, but Velvet didn't let her.

"Not a chance, CC."

"Look, I go dance for a bit and you watch me. _Then_  you can see how simple it is and join me, okay?"

Velvet held her hands up in defeat. "Alright, alright. You get them, CC. I'll see if I can figure it out."

Yang gave her a big smile and went off to the dance floor.

 

 

"You  _can't_  dance, huh? I remember that very differently." Junior leaned on his bar, throwing Velvet a questionable look. The latter just shrugged and took a sip from her whiskey, never letting her eyes leave Yang, a smirk on her face. "What are you up to, Gadget?"

"Nothing, Junior. Nothing at all."


	22. ... Desperate Meassures

**Tuesday 1750.**

**Four months and three weeks after F.B.**

 

"Nothing, Junior. Nothing at all."

Velvet had s smirk on her face as she watched Yang slowly make her way to the dance floor. The faunus' plan had been quite simple: get Yang in an environment that does not bring back memories of Yatsu so Velvet can figure out if she only fell into old habits and if there is nothing else there, or not. And so far that was working brilliantly. She had chosen Junior's club for a reason; she was very comfortable in this environment. Granted, Velvet had not expected Yang to be acquainted with Junior as well. Truth be told, Velvet had hoped Yang would be uncomfortable in a club, with her arm and whatnot. And with Yang being out of her comfort zone it would have been easy for Velvet to figure out what she felt that day. It was a dirty move to try to exploit that, but people are always easy to read if they are flustered. Either way, it did not really matter, Velvet felt in complete control, and so far there were no confusing feelings.

Unfortunately, she was staring too long after Yang, and that prompted a comment from Junior.

"Ah. I get. You're crushing hard there, Gadget."

Velvet's eyes widened, and she turned around to scowl at Junior. "Excuse me?"

Junior smirked at her. "Don't play dumb, Gadget. It's rather obvious now. I should have noticed right away. The signs are very distinctive."

Velvet took another sip from her Whiskey while rolling her eyes. "Alright. Amuse me."

"Well, first of all, you're wearing heels, not very high ones, but high enough to make it hard to fight or flight in them. Which tells me, that you are comfortable enough not to expect any trouble, which means you're not here to introduce CC to Shades' little side business." Junior casually picked up a glass and started cleaning it. "Secondly, you did not know that she used to come here. Therefore it is safe to assume that she did not choose this fine establishment, you did. You're used to being here and are comfortable. But the biggest giveaway are your outfits."

Velvet could not help but chuckle at that. "Outfits? Now you're shitting me."

Junior feint hurt but smiled. "I own a nightclub, Gadget. I see different types of people with different motives pass through here all the time. It pays to figure out what they are up to." He leaned forward and gave her a dangerous smirk. "Also, I got to spent a lot of time with Shades while she was protecting the club. And that girl knows her way around clothes."

Velvet felt nervous all of the sudden. She had put a quite a bit of thought into her outfit, but not to the extent that it would indicate some underlining intentions, right? No, Junior was just messing with her. There was no way Coco took the time to teach Junior about fashion etiquette and ….

"You see there are different types of women in these clubs. The two most important ones boil down to the ones who are trying to pick someone up or get picked up and the ones who are here to not get picked up, most likely because they are here with someone and only want to get noticed by that someone. And I know we could argue about that being shallow all day but I believe those two types represent almost every woman in here. Those types have a distinct goal in mind, and the first input they give is their outfit." Junior pointed at the dance floor towards Yang, who was talking to the Malachite twins. "Now take CC here. Her outfit is designed to draw attention to her assets. Tits, ass, bare shoulders, she clearly falls into the 'pick me up' category. Now, she always used to fill that position every time I saw her, but this time she has a second agenda with the look. See the accessories? They're all located on her left side, they sparkle and draw attention, same as her exposed skin. She's clearly trying to divert eyes from her missing arm. That tells me that she is not here to impress someone specific but tries to sexualize herself. She's not feeling comfortable at all and tries to hide behind her rack."

Strangely enough, something about the way Junior was talking about Yang rubbed Velvet the wrong way, but she had to admit that he was probably right. As Velvet reflected she came to realize that she had forgotten about Yang's missing arm completely. She had to concede, that this part of Junior's observation made sense.

"And now look at you, Gadget. You, dear girl, are wearing a date outfit."  _What?_  "The kind of outfit you wear when you have your full attention on one person and want it to stay that way. To somebody who does not know you, you look boring, sure that dress is hella short, but that comes only into play if you are not sitting, which means it is only for the person who will walk you somewhere or the one you want to dance with. You don't show a lot of skin; you don't emphasize your goodies. At least not to all the predators out there. But here's the kicker, a typical date usually knows you in other circumstances, and therefore you don't have to lure them in with your goods, on the contrary, you hide them tactically to seem more interesting. You and CC are military, and chances are both of you know exactly how you look naked. So it's not about showing skin, it's about looking different  _for_  somebody, in hopes that will draw their attention. For you, this is a date, but it does not seem that CC got the memo. Therefore, it's a crush."

Velvet's mouth was half open as she stared at Junior. She felt like this was the good moment for someone to drop a microphone to underline the point being made, but judging by the now rapidly flickering lights and her flicking ears the only thing being dropped right now was the beat. Junior gave her such a smug look that she wanted nothing more as to throw his silly observations right back into his face and surgically disprove his points with facts. To her horror, she realized that he was most likely right. So after a few moments of silence, all she could do was sigh deeply.

"Fine. We were on a mission, I started flirting with her halfway through, and I am trying to figure out why. The only other person I ever felt comfortable around to flirt with was Big O, so I figured I was just projecting him onto her because of the circumstances."

"So you brought her into an environment where you are comfortable already. Added bonus that you and Big O were never here at the same time. So you dressed the part and are trying to figure out if you're crushing on her or not."

Velvet huffed. "I am not dressing the part. At least I did not intend to. But you can drop that smirk because I am certain now, that there is nothing there. Because right now I have no urge to flirt with her whatsoever, and that means I was right and I was just projecting."

If anything Junior's smirk got even bigger. "Oh really? Well, in that case, you'll have no problem watching the girl dance, right?"

Velvet raised an eyebrow and slowly turned towards the dance floor again. "Why would I have a problem with watching her da… n … ce." Velvet's words almost got stuck in her throat, and it was a small miracle that she managed to hold on to her drink.

Sometime during her conversation with Junior, the music had changed. The DJ was now playing hard-hitting dance music with deep drops and matching lights. Yang was somewhere in the middle of the dance floor with the Malachite twins around her. She was moving to the music, but it almost felt like time was slowing down. With each flash of light, she was striking another pose, slowly, almost sensually dancing until the next flash, which had her in yet another pose. It was outright mesmerizing to Velvet. But not only Yang's movements intrigued the girl; Yang somehow managed to seemingly hide the fact she was missing an arm. Be it by the pose hiding her stump or the lights flashing to the beat right before the arm would come into view, it was impossible for Velvet to see the missing limb. The twins were moving around Yang expertly, drawing attention to her, grinding against her, dancing with her. Even though Yang was essentially dancing alone the whole floor seemed to dance around her, the attention of the other dancers regularly caught by Yang and the twins, forcing people to naturally gravitate towards them. Velvet's brain was on complete tilt trying to process what was going on and how it was possible. But then Yang caught her eye with a shy smile and a cute wink, and suddenly Velvet knew exactly how she did it.

_She's dancing with me. Her poses are oriented towards me, that's why I only see what she wants me to see. The twins hide her stump from the others but never get into my line of sight … she talked to them earlier, that must have been what they were talking about. Hold on, if they planned this then that means …_

"You know, the thing about your plan of being somewhere comfortable, so you are in control … well, it might not work so well if your significant other is equally comfortable. CC totally wrecked my club once but, and you better not tell her that, I am fairly certain she has already paid for all the damage caused, each time she steps onto that dance floor. I have dancers on there to get the party started, to coax the patrons of some money, and while the Twins are pretty good, CC is fantastic. But judging by the drool coming from your mouth, I don't have to tell you that." Velvet swallowed heavy. She wanted to retort but was not able to remove her eyes from Yang. Five minutes ago she was so sure she had it all figured out. She was wrong. Because judging by what was going on in and below her stomach right now, she was on an entirely false track the entire time.

The song had ended, and Yang slowly danced her way towards Velvet, their eyes still fixed, while Junior continued to relentlessly hammer his point home.

"Well looks to me like she threw that ball right back at you. So what's it gonna be, Gadget? Going to make a play?"

Before Velvet could answer, Yang had reached the bar and plopped down on her seat, smiling. Junior casually handed her a new drink, but violet eyes were fixated on Velvet.

"Gee, I know I'm good but could you stop with the staring, Gadget? You're making me blush."

At Yang's giggle, Velvet managed to snap out of her semi-trance and turned towards her friend. "What … no … I mean … wow. How did you do that? With the lights and stuff? It looked so … I dunno, almost hypnotic."

Yang smiled and took a sip of her drink. "Oh, that's easy. The lights are linked to the song. So as long as you know the song you know how the lights will flicker. The rest is just a matter of moving in a way to abuse the light. I used to do that all the time around here but it's harder with only one arm, that's why I asked the twins to shroud me a bit."

"To me, it didn't look like you needed them at all." Velvet was almost answering on autopilot while her brain was starting to catch back up.

"Of course I did, they covered my blind spots. But I get why you hadn't noticed. I directed my dance at you, after all." And like that Velvet's mental train derailed again. "So, now you know how I did it. Your turn, Gadget."

This time Velvet was too slow to react, and Yang had pulled her off her seat and towards the dance floor.

"Wait, CC. Hold on. I told you I couldn't!"

Yang laughed at that. "Oh no.  _You_  are going to dance. And I will watch you. It's only fair that you give me a private show, too." And with another wink, Yang was halfway back towards the bar. Velvet stood there for a full second before turning and dropping her act with a dangerous smirk.

_Alright, Yang. Two can play that game._

 

 

Yang threw Junior a smug grin as she sat back down at the bar. She felt amazing. Dancing was always something she relished in. And to be able to do it to such effect even with her arm, or better lack thereof, was like balm for her troubled soul. She definitely had to remember to thank the twins for their assist later. But even better than the reaction of the other dancers was Velvet's. The faunus had this untouchable vibe of being in control ever since they entered the club, but now Yang managed to put some cracks in that mask.

_And once she's in the Twin's net on the dance floor we'll finally lose her up enough to start enjoying the evening. Honestly, I can't tell with that girl. One day she's flirty and the next she's even colder than Weiss ever was. But I'll get her there. She tried to cheer me up with this thing, might as well return the favor._

Speaking of Velvet, the girl was currently talking to the DJ, which surprised Yang a bit but before she could think about that a bit more, she felt a nudge on her shoulder.

"Impressive as ever, CC. Though I could swear that you tried a bit harder than in the past. Someone you're trying to impress, huh?"

Yang let out a laugh. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Junior. Gadget and I are just friends. Heck, I don't even know if we are even that. I had a rough time; she's trying to cheer me up. That's why we're here. Figured I might as well play along and ensure she'll loosen up a bit too."

Yang had turned towards Junior so she could she his eye-roll clearly. "Uh-huh. You sure about that?"

"Yeah, pretty sure, big guy." Yang raised her Sunrise before sipping again. Junior just continued to clean glasses. In the background the music was picking up again, engulfing the room in shimmering lights.

"You know, I fairly enjoy watching you two. Both so sure of yourself. Right before you crash and burn. Let me fill you in on a little secret, CC, on the house." Junior leaned in a bit closer, causing an amused huff from Yang. "Gadget came here more times than her team combined and she never looked like this. Oh, and the girl can  _dance_ , heck she's even better than you. She's playing you."

"Yeah, right." Yang laughed. "And why would she do that?"

Junior shrugged. "The heck would I know. I'll never get you women. All I know is that she's crushing on you. Hard. And if you don't believe me … well, how about you take a look yourself?" With that Junior nodded towards the dance floor and turned away. Yang had her eyebrows raised, unsure if she was getting pranked or if the big man had lost his mind. Nevertheless, she turned around … and immediately dropped her drink.

Like she herself moments before, Velvet was in the middle of the dance floor. But unlike Yang who managed to make all the dancers orbit around her, Velvet essentially stopped every other dancer. The most they accomplished was to somewhat move to the music while encircling the faunus; others were just blankly staring. Velvet herself was seemingly dancing with herself, her arms roaming over her entire body, emphasizing her curves clearly. Playing with her faunus ears and long hair, she looked like she was in her own little world. Except her eyes were on Yang the entire time. Half lit, brown eyes fixated on Yang, who had trouble keeping eye contact. The latter was made hard by Velvet herself who had employed the Malachite twins in a similar and simultaneously very different way than Yang. The twins were still shielding parts of Velvet from the audience but this time around it was for an entirely different purpose. Velvet only wanted Yang to see. They made sure only Yang saw how Velvet's fingers pushed her mini-skirt just high enough to expose the underside of her buttcheeks. They made sure only Yang saw Velvet's hands roaming the twins' bodies while her eyes told Yang exactly who she was thinking about. And they damned sure made certain Yang, and Yang alone saw Velvet's hand disappearing between her legs, while brown eyes stopped looking at Yang to flutter shut.

Yang did not really know when she stood up and moved towards the floor. Drawn in by Velvet's dance and eyes she barely registered anything else than the faunus. The Twins parted as Yang reached Velvet, who did not miss a beat and immediately started to dance against Yang. With Velvet's back grinding against her and dreamy brown eyes looking up at her, Yang's brain short-circuited, and the only thing she managed was to lightly place her hand on the faunus' hip while Velvet continued to dance.

 

 

"Oh, boy. I think our bunny broke Blondie." Junior chuckled as he handed the Twins two bottles of water.

"Well, duh. Have you seen, what she's doing? Like, straight up porn." Melanie took a long gulp from her bottle.

"Chill out, Mel. You're just like, jealous that I got to touch her goodies more." Miltiades chuckled as she bumped her hip against her sister.

"Pff, whatever, Miltia. But hey, look! I guess Blondie found her brain after all."

All three looked towards the dance floor where Yang had finally snapped out of her trance and started to return Velvet's advances. Both seem to be in their own zone, letting hands roam freely.

"Great. If they keep this up, I'll need a stronger drink." Junior was just about to turn around as a waving henchman at the entrance caught his attention. "What is that idiot doing? Girls, can you check that out for me?"

The Twins nodded and moved towards the entrance. Junior threw one last look at Velvet and Yang and shook his head.

_Those two lovebirds better thank me later. Women. Why do they have to make everything so complicated? If I hadn't said anything, they would still be tiptoeing around the matter. It's not that complicated._

 

 

Velvet had no idea what the hell came over her. All she wanted to do was show off a bit to get Yang off her high horse. She could manipulate a crowd too, after all. But then the twins had suggested to turn the heat up a bit more, and for whatever reason, she had agreed. Granted, that was something the three had done before but never for a single person. Nevermind the fact that she was doing it for Yang, of all people.

But right now she could not care less. Literally could not care less because her brain finally shut down entirely after feeling Yang grind her butt against Velvet's hips. The faunus hands roamed down the side of the former blonde, delicately reaching under Yang's shirt and lingering on the exposed belly. Yang's head turned around, half-lit violet eyes reassuring Velvet's touch. A second later Velvet could feel Yang's hand gently stroking her hair just before the next beat separated them again. Velvet lost track of how long they were playing this game of being longingly close only to draw away over and over. And frankly, time management was the last thing she was concerning herself with while her braless breasts were pressed against Yang's and the brawler's hand was ascending underneath her skirt, partially exposing her butt.

Once again brown found violet and both girls lost each other in their eyes. Velvet saw Yang's eyes flutter close as they both leaned in. Her own eyes soon followed, and she could feel the other woman's warm breath on her slightly parted lips, a hairbreadth away from each other.

Suddenly a huge explosion ripped through the building and threw everyone off balance. Velvet opened her eyes in surprise and saw Miltiades and Melanie fly through the air and crash into a booth. A wave of smoke came through the entrance, and everyone's shock quickly turned into panic as White Fang grunts came flooding into the club.

A huge, bulky man left the smoke. He was easily over seven foot tall and sprouted a pair of big tusk from under his White Fang mask. On his back, he carried two large cylinders with fluid which were connected to equally bulky gauntlets by large tubes. His voice boomed over the stopped music.

"Evening, ladies and gentlemen. Consider this a hostile takeover. Now there's no need for panic. If you all cooperate peacefully, this will be over quickly."

Then he nodded and his men aimed at the civilian crowd, immediately opening fire.


	23. Disco Inferno

**Tuesday 1840.**

**Four months and three weeks after F.B.**

 

 

Before Yang's mind managed to completely snap out of the blissful daze it was residing in; her body took action. With her hand still under Velvet's dress, it was easy to push the faunus towards the entrance. Luckily Velvet's combat training was not to be outdone by Yang's and so both of them dived into the cover of the lowered dance floor. With her back pressed against the stage, Yang had a full view of what was happening, and it made her stomach turn.

In a situation like this, the first instinct of humans and faunus alike is to get away from the danger. This usually leads to an attempt to put distance between oneself and the threat. The flight instinct was not always the best course of action, and sometimes it was downright suicidal. The latter was the case here. Civilians tried to leave the dance floor and the booths, but since the club was formed like a bowl, with the dance area being the lowest point, they had to run uphill, without any cover and against a foe with the higher ground.

They did not stand a chance.

Yang had to suppress a gag as the stench of blood and excrements hit her. The White Fang had mowed down most of the civilians within seconds. Bodies were littered all around them, quickly bleeding out. Yang could see the occasional severed body part and spilled out intestines from where the Fang had used a caliber of bullets too high for the unprotected bodies to handle. Junior's goons were faring a bit better. Ducked behind makeshift cover, they returned fire immediately, but even seconds into the fight it was clear that they were heavily outgunned and outnumbered. It was clear to Yang that she and Velvet would have to get into this battle and fast.

Their choice to dive for the nearest cover below the line of fire had bought them some time, but it was obvious that they could not stay here for long. While quickly scanning her surroundings Yang found the booth the twins were hiding in. Melanie was lying on the ground, unmoving, but Miltiades was conscious. The booth was located against the wall, and there was a decent amount of cover along the way so that would likely be their best call. Yang made eye contact with Velvet and motioned towards the booth, silently declaring her intentions. The faunus nodded and moved to the edge of their cover, then dashed up the stairs quickly to reach a massive looking bench. Yang was right behind her, not willing to give the Fang enough time to react to their attempts. Velvet waited for a heartbeat to make a break for the next cover but this time bullets started to fly past them, narrowly missing the pair. They both knew the Fang was on to them, but they couldn't stay there either. The twins' booth was the next one over; unfortunately, there was a fair bit of open space between. They would surely take some hits, but their aura should be able to handle it. The women wordlessly nodded again and started their run, preparing themselves for the bullet impacts.

They were not prepared for a massive stream of fire heading right towards them. Yang managed to barely shove Velvet forward and out of the way while she dived into the other direction. Still, she could feel the fire gnawing at her side, narrowly missing. She came up with a roll just to be forced to dodge another wave of flames, incinerating every seat behind her. She managed to chance a glimpse of the enormous faunus with the tanks just before he let forth another stream of fire from his gauntlets, trying to turn Yang into ash. Yang had no other choice than to jump down some stairs to avoid this one. She impacted hard on her stump, forcing the air out of her lungs but she managed to go far enough to get some solid cover in the form of a low wall separating the dance floor from some tables. The fall did cost her some time and she fully expected to be engulfed in flames any second now, but the telling sound of Junior's bazooka gave her an idea what was happening. She looked up and, sure enough, the club owner was behind his bar, firing rockets at the White Fang captain.

Since said captain had decided that dealing with Junior was more critical than roasting Yang, the brawler took the time to look around. Things were significantly worse than before. Junior's goons were losing ground. Much of their cover was destroyed by the White Fang's heavier weaponry leaving many of them dead on the floor. She looked over to Velvet, who managed to reach the twins' booth safely and was currently talking with her back turned towards Yang. On the other side of the club the White Fang was advancing, and it would only be a matter of time until they got a clear shot at Yang. And judging by the bullets that impacted the top of the wall the second Yang tried to look over it, the Fang was fully aware where Yang was.

_This is bad. We don't have our weapons, and the twins are not exactly packing either. Those goons approaching have some guns though. If I manage to disarm them, I could toss the weapons over to Velvet so that she can cover me. I can't really tell how far they are away though. I can tank a few shots, but I should not be reckless. I can't go in blind though. Unless …._

 

 

Velvet tried to ignore the hammering in her ears as she crouched behind the booth. She pressed them as flat to her head as possible to keep them behind cover while turning around in a hurry to see Yang dodge yet another column of fire from that elephant faunus. She winced as she saw the woman she almost kissed less than a minute ago hit the ground hard. She shook her head, trying to dismiss the pleasant memories of their dance and prevent them from creeping up again. Now was hardly the time, after all. She relaxed slightly as she saw Junior opening fire to get the literal heat off Yang. A second later a bullet shot right through the booth seats, missing her nose by an inch. Velvet cursed and coiled back, immediately pushing her hand against the bench. She felt her aura coursing through the cover, reinforcing it just like she was used to do with weapons. Not a second later she could feel more impacts from bullets on her now extended aura.

Moments later she could feel a hand above hers and another aura extending over her own. Velvet turned her head in surprise to see Miltiades looking straight at her. "Safe your aura, you'll need it. Let me take care of the cover; I'm not much use for anything more right now."

At those words, Velvet took a closer look at the twins and could not stifle a frown. Miltiades was in rough shape. Her left side was severely injured. Her skin and clothes were partially burned, and her left arm was bloody and held uselessly in front of her, a bone sticking out of her forearm. Melanie was in even worse shape. She was flat on the ground, her head resting in her sister's lap, a nasty gash on her forehead and face. Her former pristine white dress was mostly torn and charred black.

Miltiades seemed to read Velvet's mind. "She was in front of me and took the brunt of the blast. They had the entrance already rigged, the guy they sent in was likely not one of us or forced to do it, either way, he was, like, baiting. They blew the whole thing in our faces once we got there. Sent us flying, Mel's aura broke immediately, knocked her out cold. The impact was, like, too much for my aura and took out my arm. I should have enough aura left to keep us covered for a while, so don't worry about us."

Velvet swallowed hard, and a flash of sorrow washed over her face. "Miltia, I …"

"Can it, Gadget." Miltiades just shook her head. "None of that. You and Blondie are about the only ones here who can put up a decent fight. So kick their asses, we'll be fine."

Velvet's gaze lingered on the other woman for a few seconds, both of them fully aware that the statement was most likely not true. She hesitantly nodded anyway, retracting her aura and removing her hand from under Miltiades'. The conscious twin nodded thankfully and closed her eyes, concentrating on keeping her aura flowing. Velvet hesitated, trying to shake the unsettling feeling in her stomach. But then her ears twitched as she heard something from under the sounds of screams and gunfire.

"Gadget …"

 

 

Yang allowed herself a mental pat on the back as Velvet's head whipped around and their eyes met. Yang had figured that the faunus' ears might be able to pick her voice up despite the chaos around them, without being forced to yell and gain even more attention. With Velvet's attentiveness on her, she did quick gestures, hoping that the woman across the room would pick up on her plan.  _Enemy behind me. How many. Where exactly. Tell me when to attack._

Velvet seemed to have understood and risked a glance over her cover. She then turned to Yang, signing back. _Two enemies. Five yards away. Approaching directly from behind._  Yang nodded in confirmation and watched as Velvet counted down on her fingers. At zero Yang vaulted over the side of the wall. She could not see the face of the two Fang members, but they seemed surprised enough to hesitate just a second. Which was more than enough for Yang.

With her hand on the ledge, supporting her weight to keep her feet free, Yang aimed simultaneous kicks against the Fang's weapons. With their rifles not aimed at her anymore she quickly landed, grabbing one of her enemies, a female with a wolf tail, by her neck, ramming her head into the wall with force. While the woman collapsed unconscious, her partner landed a solid kick to Yang's side, sending her flailing against the railing. She saw other grunts aiming at her and instinctively ducked behind cover. She felt a spray of blood hitting the back of her head as the other faunus fell to the floor, a clear victim of friendly fire. Without allowing herself to think much about it, Yang crawled towards one of the dropped rifles. She had hoped to get both weapons, but her opening kicks had sent one rifle too far off, so she just settled for grabbing a pouch with spare ammo from the female faunus' belt and her sidearm, which Yang shoved into the back of her pants.

Yang peered around her wall and tried to make eye-contact with Velvet, while meticulously keeping herself behind cover. Bullets were impacting around her left and right, and it was clear that she was pinned down. Once she gained the faunus attention, she switched on the safety of the rifle and flung it over towards Velvet, quickly followed by the spare ammo bag. Her throw was good, and Velvet managed to catch the rifle, and, in one fluid motion, disengaged the safety, spun around and shot a grunt that was running towards her booth in the face. Yang kept her head down, watching Velvet, who ducked in and out of cover to sent quick bursts of bullets against the Fang. Yang did not have much time to be impressed by her though, as Velvet motioned the approach of two more grunts from above Yang's position.

That was bad. The fact that they managed to get around her spelled nothing good for the status of Junior's goons who previously held that spot. It was even worse for Yang who now was at risk of getting surrounded. They had to take care of that and fast. Velvet made more gestures and gave Yang another countdown. She drew her pistol and made sure it was loaded. At zero Velvet came out of cover and coated the entrance with fire, forcing the Fang to take cover. That gave Yang a window to pop up and run while opening fire at the two faunus above her. She managed to break through the aura of one and land a hit on his shoulder, sending the faunus onto its back. The other one was quick to react; he landed a handful of glancing shots on Yang's aura before trying to ram the butt of his rifle into her. Yang dodged to the side and used her momentum to land a spinning kick against the faunus midriff. He flew backward, shattering his aura against a railing. He drew his sidearm but was stopped by a bullet between the eyes courtesy of Velvet, who then continued her cover fire towards the entrance.

Yang froze for a second as she saw the grunt die in front of her eyes, seemingly shocked by how casual Velvet ended his life. A bullet hitting her square in the back send her to one knee, taking a good chunk of her aura with it. She cursed and rolled into cover, casually punching the lights out of the faunus she hit in the shoulder earlier. She reloaded her sidearm and took the time to make note of the situation.

All of Junior's goons and the civilians were injured or dead, the White Fang was approaching in a wide arc, but they significantly slowed down once Yang and Velvet had started to retaliate. Junior was behind another bar, his old one a blazing inferno courtesy of the White Fang captain with the flamethrowers he was still engaged with from a distance. Velvet was firing from her cover with deadly precision, from what Yang could tell it seemed that additionally to the four grunts she attacked, Velvet had at least taken out three more. Juniors goons had hit a few, too, but there were still half a dozen Fang active.

Just as she thought that, something like a missile flew past her and obliterated the bar Junior was hiding behind. Yang could not see the big man, but he did not pop out from under the wreckage, so Yang feared the worst. The more immediate problem was that without Junior keeping the Fang captain in check, the huge faunus turned his attention towards Velvet. A big arm lifted, and a stream of fire crashed against the booth Velvet and the twins were occupying. The structure seemed to hold for now but with the rest of the grunts closing in it was only a matter of time till they took them out. Yang had to do something fast.

Without thinking much about it, she vaulted over her cover, immediately opening fire at a grunt approaching her, hitting him a few times in the torso before knocking him into the nearest wall with a well-aimed kick to the head. Continuing her run, she fired her pistol at the gruntsin cover and the ones approaching Velvet until her gun was empty. Eyes set on her primary target, she let out a yell and launched herself upwards, bringing her heel down for anaxe kick against the captain. While her shout succeeded in drawing the captains attention from Velvet and the others, she had not expected the elephant faunus to be very quick. He spun around to block Yang's kick with his right gauntlet, only wavering slightly before nailing the former blonde right in the face with his left. Yang hit the floor hard and saw stars for a second, but was brought back to reality in an instant as she felt bullets impact around her. She rolled to the side quickly, but not before getting hit in the hip, costing her more aura. She located the shooter but was unable to do anything about him as he aimed straight at her head.

 

 

Velvet cursed harshly as she cowered in the booth, flames diverted from the seats raging all around her, leaving barely enough space to hide behind. Miltiades was sweating profusely, her injury gnawing on her while the fire drained her aura rapidly. Then Velvet heard Yang's yell, and the fire stopped immediately. She wasted no time and brought her rifle around to continue her shooting but the moment she came up from cover her eyes widened in surprise. Right in her peripheral vision, a White Fang grunt was jumping towards her, sword raised high above his head and far too close for Velvet to react. She did not have to though, as a red and black painted claw shot up and impaled itself deep into the grunt's stomach, stopping him in mid-air. Coughed up blood hit Velvet's face, as she saw the grunt being dragged over into the booth, the claw descending a second time, burying itself into the faunus' throat, silencing him permanently. Velvet looked at Miltiades who was panting heavily as she retracted her claw, her aura flickering out of existence, thoroughly exhausted.

Velvet wanted to say something, but more gunfire drew her attention back towards Yang who was rolling on the floor. The shooter was obscured from her line of fire, but if she moved now, the twins would be defenseless. Velvet hesitated for a second and that was enough for Miltiades to spur her on. "Fuck it, Gadget,  _move_!" Velvet bit her lip but complied, she fell into a quick sprint and aimed at the shooter until she had a clear shot. The grunt fell over, riddled with her bullets before he could fire at Yang again. A spray of bullets hit her in the side and knocked her to the ground. Velvet recuperated fast and found the source of the shooting in the last White Fang soldiers located near the entrance. She came up to shoot, but her rifle was empty. Cursing, she looked around to find a dead White Fang near her. He did not have a gun, but he had something better: dust grenades. Falling into another sprint Velvet vaulted herself towards the body, grabbing and arming the explosives mid-jump and threw them towards the last grunts. The following explosion brought part of the walls down and just added fuel to the already raging fire in the club.

Another yell reached her ears, and she looked up in horror as she saw the White Fang captain holding Yang up by the throat, one of his smoking gauntlets aimed directly at her head. Velvet burst into action, running over several seats and tables before jumping right at her foe. She nailed him with a big kick to the head, sending him reeling and causing the flames from his gauntlet to miss Yang. He did not let go of Yang, however, and Velvet soon found herself buried under the former blonde as the captain hurled Yang into her. Both women got to their feet immediately, separating to attack from both sides, but their opponent was not having any of it. He spun around himself, firing his flamethrowers and causing the women to break off their attack. Before the flames subsided, he rushed straight through them, tackling Yang like a freight train and sending the girl flying. She hit the wall with the back of her head, leaving her on the ground, unmoving. Velvet took the opening and rushed him. He tried to react, but she was too fast, and once within his personal space she unloaded a barrage of kicks and strikes against his torso. He attempted to retreat to get into a distance to use his flamethrowers, but Velvet was relentless. She dodged one of his punches and managed to get a good grip on his left arm, ripping the tubes connecting the tanks on his back with his gauntlets right off his left weapon. Liquid dust sprayed out of the disconnected tubes and onto his upper body, causing the captain to yell out in pain.

Velvet's victory did not last very long though as he caught her with a vicious kick that sent her into the metal framework of the dance floor's lighting. Before she could recover, a rocket hit just above her, the force of the explosion spiking her into the ground and breaking her aura. Then the framework collapsed onto her. A sharp yell of pain escaped Velvet as she felt metal forcing itself through her right calf. She looked behind and tried to move but the pain was too overwhelming and the framework too heavy. Looking forward she saw the captain sheath an over-sized sidearm, likely what he used to fire those rockets. He wore a smug expression as he made his way towards her through the dead bodies of civilians and his own men.

"I despise traitors like you. Turning your back on your own race. It disgusts me. But don't worry little bunny. After I am done barbecuing you, I'll send you right to the humans you so desperately want to belong to." He reached her and lifted his working gauntlet, aiming straight at her. She tried once more to get free but to no avail. She looked up one last time to see a small flame igniting the dust and closed her eyes, waiting for her end.

She felt the sting of pain right after but not from the source she expected as a high-pitched scream tortured her ears from a short distance. Her eyes flew open immediately, but instead of fire, she saw the body of a woman bent over her, shielding her from the flames.  _Yang!_

Evil laughter came from the captain. "Ah-ha-ha-ha, what is this? The human wants to join the pyre? Be my guest; I'll incinerate every last one of you bitches." Another burst of flame hit Yang and resulted in an agonized scream that would hunt Velvet's dreams forever. Yang's aura struggled against the flames, preventing what it could, but it proved to be no match for the intense heat as Yang's clothes started to catch fire. Velvet was hit with the distinct smell of burned flesh as yet another scream came from Yang.

"Yang! Stop it! Please, move,  _move_!" Velvet tried to beg and force herself out from under the framework, but it was no use. Her eyes started to fill with tears as she was unable to do anything to help Yang, unable to stop the White Fang captain from burning her friend to death. "Please, get out of here! He will kill you! Yang, Please!"

Velvet looked up to Yang with pure fear in her eyes. She reached up with her hands and try and push her friend away from her before it was too late but to her surprise, Yang caught both of her hands and pushed them to the floor.

"I … can't. I … won't." Velvet's eyes widened as Yang spoke to her. She could barely recognize her friend's voice; too much strain was put on it earlier through the screams. Tears were streaming down Yang's face, the skin on her entire body an unnatural color of red and brown, her clothes completely burned off. The heat was reaching temperatures that had started to melt the metal chains of Yang's arm. Velvet was shocked by how the metal had liquefied and burned itself into the skin of the arm holding her hands down. "I am … useless … couldn't … help … my partner … sister … never … again. I … refuse … to let …  _him_  … harm you …  _I refuse!_ "

Suddenly there was another burst of flame, but this time it seems to come from Yang directly. Velvet watched in awe as Yang's short hair erupted into a golden mass of flames, she saw Yang's eyes, wide from pain as they were, switch from a lovely purple to a burning red. Velvet had seen Yang's semblance before but not this close. And never this bright.

With a booming yell, Yang whirled around, rising through the flames of the faunus' weapon as if it was nothing. Velvet could see the captain reel back in surprise before Yang reached out and ripped one of the elephant faunus' tusks clean out of his head, almost crushing the tusk between her fingers. The captain yelled out in pain which was silenced instantly as Yang ran the tusk into the side of his throat and up through his skull, shattering his aura, not that it would have mattered at that point. Blood sprayed all over Yang's burned and naked body but she did not seem to care, and neither could Velvet; the faunus too shocked and spellbound by the brilliant golden flame that had replaced Yang's hair, flowing even longer than her old mane. As the captain's dead body fell in front of Yang, she turned towards Velvet and opened her mouth to speak. But then a gunshot broke through the air, hitting Yang straight in the head.

The world seemed to slow down, as Velvet saw Yang's burning red eyes widen in surprise as her head whipped around. Yang's aura broke at the same time, the golden flames dissolving instantly, leaving only Yang's short brown hair behind. Then a second and a third shot hit Yang in the right shoulder and torso, causing blood to spray onto Velvet. Time sped up again after that and Yang hit the ground hard. Velvet could see Yang's widened and glazed eyes, the girl not moving and a puddle of blood forming under her rapidly.

"Yaaaaaang!" Velvet screamed Yang's name with everything she got. She tried to reach for her, tried to extend her arms long enough to get to Yang, but she was just out of reach. She almost did not notice what was happening around her as more White Fang came runnining into the club. She had no time for them; she had to reach Yang and stop that bleeding. But the collapsed framework still had her calf impaled and pinned down. She tried to move with all of her might, ignoring the pain from her leg as she strained the flesh, ripping the wound up more just to get a bit closer.

"Yaaaang! Yaaaaaang!" Velvet kept screaming, alerting every White Fang to her presence but she did not care. She had only eyes for Yang's bleeding body and the girl's steadily slowing breaths.

In her struggles, she did not notice the roof of the club partly collapsing from a controlled explosion and about half a dozen people dropping into the middle of the club. She did not notice most of them crouching down, rifles at the ready. She did not notice the standing person's Gatling gun revving up or the yelled command: "Bullet Hell!". She did not notice the new arrivals opening fire in every direction, mowing down every White Fang relentlessly and riddling the walls and furniture of the club with bullet holes and faunus blood.

The only thing important to her was reaching Yang. Reaching the woman that protected her. Reaching the woman she was now convinced she had been falling for.


	24. Lucky

**Friday 0840.**

**Four months and three weeks after F.B.**

 

A slowly beeping heart monitor was the only source of sound surrounding her. Or maybe it was the only one that mattered now, so she had dismissed everything else. Most people would find a consistent monotone signal annoying, but to her it was soothing; it meant the person the device was attached to was alive, after all.

The bed in the intensive care unit of the base's hospital was where Yang Xiao Long lay unconscious since Tuesday, and that sight caused her a lot of pain. Propped up by foam cushions under her left side the young woman laid on her belly, the placement ensuring that no pressure would reach her severely burned back and arm. Yang's entire upper body had been wrapped in thick bandages, keeping medical gel and medicine over the burn at all times.

Seated on a comfortable chair on the left was Velvet. She was calmly reading a book with one hand while her other was gingerly stroking through Yang's hair. The faunus' right leg was heavily bandaged as well and currently resting on another chair. Velvet's injury was much less severe, and there was no actual need for her to be in the intensive care ward, but she flat out refused to leave Yang's side for days now, so accommodations had been made. Observed through the one-way mirror of the observation station, they seemed peaceful. That, however, did little to sooth Coco's conscience.

The Colonel had shushed out the medical staff occupying the room to be alone with her thoughts. The nurses were used to it by now; Coco had shown up every day since the attack on Junior's club to check on her subordinates. Even though she had work to do, nothing could have kept her from her silent vigil. She could use the distraction anyway. The events of last Tuesday were in her mind, and she was still trying to figure out how the White Fang managed to play her like a fiddle.

An hour before the attack reports came in about disturbances and civil unrest in several locations all over the city. The 7th and the other battalions on police duty were stretched thin to deal with everything from bar fights to small-scale robberies, even public indecencies. Coco chided herself for being too stressed to notice that every single disturbance was caused by faunus. All the pieces fell into place at once as the emergency call from the club came in, but by then her entire battalion was scattered across the city. They had to waste precious time to pick everyone up to even be able to launch a counterattack. And by then it was already too late.

Coco did not move as the door to her station opened, and Fox came in. He wordlessly positioned himself beside her, likely using his aura to get a read on the other room. They stood a few moments in silence before he spoke.

"Mouser asked me to give you the new set of orders from Goodwitch. I was going to visit here anyway and he knew you are around." As he got no visible reaction from Coco, he continued. "He also said you are likely not about to talk, so he gave me a rundown of what we're expected to do now."

Coco was not going to answer. She heard him talk, understood what he was saying, but her mind was almost entirely fixated on the sight in front of her.

"We're being pulled from every operation higher than police duty because we only got two hunters ready. Not that we had much else going on anyway. The 3rd is taking our place which means we'll have to cover their commercial and residency districts as well. No word how we're supposed to cover four districts with eight officers and simultaneously train the recruits though. Mouser suggests assigning the more promising recruits for police work to free up our people for teaching."

Coco's mind was pleading a case to let out a frustrated grunt and make a snide comment about farmers in uniform but it ultimately failed, so she kept silently staring while Fox continued.

"Junior's final report on the damages came in, and it's bleak. It'll probably take more than a month to fully rebuild the club. He also requests to talk to you about our other arrangement. No details in here but we think it's likely because he lost most of his men and will have trouble keeping his other operations going."

She felt her frustrations grow. That would likely mean the influx of necessary goods would be reduced. Coco would have to find a way to fix that or get additional sources.

"Also, Goodwitch read your report and lets you know that she can't see a flaw in how you reacted. She agrees with your assessment that the Fang organized the disturbances to give them more time to strike. There was no way you could have seen that coming. She promises to take steps to prevent such surprises in the future, and she also sends commendations for CC and Gadget. The General finds halting the attack like that very impressive."

Fox seemed to be finished, but Coco gave him no indication that she was even listening. After he a while he just sighed and started to walk out.

"We almost lost Velv, too."

Fox stopped as he heard Coco speak up. Her voice was low and croaky as if she had not used it in days, which was likely the case. "Yeah, we did."

"It was my fault. I sent her there. Alone."

Fox turned and returned to Coco's side. "That's not true. You gave her the day off; you didn't send her anywhere. And she was not alone; you gave her Yang."

"I didn't order Yang to spent time with her. Velvet could have been alone in that club for all I had to do with it."

"Don't be ridiculous, Coco. I heard what you said to Velvet when you gave her the day off. You saw the tape of their fight with the Deathstalker. You gave them the day off because you knew they would spend time together. You wanted them to, and if they hadn't on their own, you would have made it happen anyway. Them growing closer, even just as friends, benefits them both greatly. So don't pretend you let them wander off alone."

"But that's an even dumber call to make!" Coco whirled around. Tears were streaming down her face. "What kind of idiot am I? Trying to set these two up in the middle of a war? The Fang was way too quiet; Atlas was way too quiet. I should have known that something was about to go down, I should have been ready! Instead, I let my guard down like an idiot, thinking we got time for a break. And for what? I almost killed both of them, Fox!"

Fox reached out to grab Coco by the shoulders. He could feel her trembling; he could hear the guilt in her voice.  _This is Yatsu all over again._  "Stop that Coco. You made the right call."

Coco tried to wiggle herself free from his grip. "How? How can you say that? They almost died!"

"But they didn't die. And you know who else didn't die? Junior. And Mel. And Miltia. And a lot more of Junior's men and guests as otherwise. And the reason for that is because Velvet and Yang were there. And you can deny that it was your intention all you want, but it doesn't change that they were only there because of you." Coco hung her head low, but the trembling did not stop, and neither did her tears. Fox drew his partner into an embrace, letting the girl bury her face in his shoulder. As the sobbing started he gently stroked her hair. "You're a good person, Coco. And for all your bravado and claims otherwise, you are a bighearted softy. You always were. Velvet and Yang are hurting, and it pains you. Almost as much as it pains them, so you found a way to try and fix them. And it worked. Yeah, they got hurt but just look at them. Velvet stayed with Yang every second since then. And you know what the twins told us. What Yang did. She almost got burned alive while protecting Velvet. You know Yang longer than any of us; you know what she is about. You know that Velvet would be safe with Yang around. So don't say stuff like you left Velvet alone. You didn't. You left her with someone you trusted. And it seems pretty clear to me that you placed your trust very well."

That seemed to calm Coco down a bit. The trembling stopped, and Fox felt the woman relax and ease into the embrace a bit. But before any of them could say anything else a tired voice came through the speaker.

"Urgh … Velvet …"

They both looked through the mirror to see Velvet dropping her book and sliding closer to Yang. Half lit purple eyes were searching the room until they landed on a teary-eyed, but bright smiled faunus.

"See, Coco? They're both fine." Fox squeezed Coco a bit, then pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Come on, let's give the two some privacy. We don't have to tell the nurses that Yang woke up, just yet."

He felt Coco nod against his chest, so he ended the embrace but let one arm linger around Coco's waist, keeping her close. She did not seem to mind that at all as they both left the observation room.

 

 

Velvet stared at the pages of the book, trying to read but now and then her mind drifted off, and she had to start the page over. She knew why Brush brought her the book; she was being restless and working herself up. Reading a book to distract herself seemed like a good idea in theory, but it did not do the job. Every time she looked to the side and saw Yang lying there in an induced coma, her mind brought back images of what happened a few days ago. When that happened, she tried to concentrate on the good things of that evening: their flirting, their dance, the kiss they almost shared ... but then the screams brought her back. Yang's agonized screams as the fire engulfed her … Velvet could not shake them. Sometimes they woke her up at night, and she had to scuttle over to Yang's bed, touch her hair, hand,  _anything_  until she was convinced that Yang was indeed alive and she could calm down and get back to sleep again.

But it was not only Yang's screaming that haunted her. Right now she thought about how she screamed her heart out after Yang got taken out. How she shouted Yang's name while trying to get herself free from that metal framework that had impaled her right calf. She remembered every second of it quite vividly. Her fingernails were all broken from where she tried to claw herself further towards Yang. It felt like an eternity until Coco and the others finally arrived and killed the remaining White Fang. It took even longer for Doc to kneel beside Yang, doing his best to stabilize the woman. Velvet was hysteric at that point; she thrashed like a trapped animal. It got so bad that Butch had to confine her arms and put her in a headlock to keep her still enough for Grinder and Bonkers to attempt to cut her out. But it still was not enough to calm Velvet down, and it took Doc coming over, injecting her something, to finally stop her thrashing. At that point, she was about to rip Doc's head off for leaving Yang for even a second.

Velvet did not remember much after that. Ultimately, she woke up in the hospital. She remembered that she felt groggy and that her leg was numb and bandaged. And then she noticed that Yang was not there. Velvet fell into an immediate panic; fortunately though, Brush was there as well. The squirrel faunus managed to calm her down a bit, explaining that she flew Yang and her to the hospital right away and that Yang was fine and still in surgery. Naturally, that undid every progress Brush had made in calming Velvet down, and Velvet was not content until her fellow faunus had organized a wheelchair and rolled her right up to the observation window of the surgery room.

That was another sight she would not soon forget, even though she really could not see all that much from a sitting position. But all the green glad surgeons with blood on their scrubs, Yang's blood, trying their best to reconstruct as much of Yang's skin as possible was a sight that almost broke her. Aura could do amazing things, but even aura cannot block incoming damage entirely, and neither can it fully restore everything on its own. Together with the surgery, there was a good chance that Yang would recover, but still, there would be some scars on her back and arm and Velvet could not help but feel responsible for that.

She did not know how long she was watching the surgery. Sometime during the process Coco and Fox joined her, relieving Brush. Velvet remembered the two saying something to her; she guessed it was about being sorry for arriving late and being busy clearing out the rest of the White Fang and securing the district. She did not listen, her attention was entirely on the surgery, and so the three of them were just there in silence, watching the physicians work.

Coco had to pull some strings after the surgery to get permission for Velvet to stay with Yang, but she came through in the end, and so Velvet had spent the last days in this room, keeping an eye on Yang. She was not alone the entire time though. Everyone in the battalion came by at least once to check on them, even the recruits and most of the base staff. Everyone had kind words and wished for their recovery and Velvet couldn't wait to tell Yang all about it. She had a feeling the brawler would be touched by that much support. Even the Malachite twins came by yesterday, patched up broken arm and bandaged head and all. They brought a huge flower arrangement and a self-made card reading 'Yang in there, lovebirds!' in big rainbow colored letters. Velvet had a mind of smacking them with it, but then she noticed that the card was signed not only by the twins, but Junior, the rest of his goons, and even all of the surviving guests, as well. Velvet was too busy not getting the card wet with tears to be mad about the pun and innuendo. Of course, they could not keep the flowers in the intensive care unit, but the nurses promised to take care of the flowers until Yang was allowed to be moved to a regular room. It seemed everyone was worried about the two, and Velvet had to admit that it felt good.

Velvet was worried too, but she was not allowing herself even to consider the possibility that she could lose Yang. Not after what happened. If Yang could pull through that hell to keep them both alive, there was no way she would not make it out the end. There was too much the two of them had to talk about after all.

Velvet tried to concentrate on her book again, as pleasant thoughts and feelings from that evening washed over her. She should have had enough time to make sense of it all by now, but the uncertainty of everything made it hard for her to focus. One thing she knew for sure though: there was something there, not just a familiar projection of her feelings for Yatsu, something exclusively belonging to Yang. She could have brushed their almost-kiss off to the alcohol and the provocative dancing, but that did not change the fact that she  _wanted_  their evening to end with a kiss. The dance, the flirting … it was clear to her now that, subconsciously, she wanted everything to go in that direction, even though she told herself, repeatedly, she wanted to prove the exact opposite. The way she reacted to Yang getting hurt for protecting her made it abundantly clear how she truly felt.

Still, that gave her no answers what to do with that information. Only more questions. Questions that had to wait since right now Velvet was too distressed to even make a shopping list, much less essential life choices. Before she could dwell on those thoughts any longer, her ears twitched as a faint voice called up to her.

"Urgh … Velvet …."

Velvet dropped her book in surprise but was even closer to Yang's side in an instant. She still had her hand in Yang's hair and used it now to prop the former blonde's head up just a bit so their eyes could meet. Velvet could not stop her tears as she saw that pair of beautiful purple eyes looking at her.

"Easy there, kitten … easy. I'm here. I'm here."

Yang blinked slowly, and Velvet could have sworn Yang nuzzled herself a bit into Velvet's hand. But that could have been easily only due to Yang's drugged up state. "What … happened?"

"We won … you won. You protected me long enough for the others to arrive. We're in a hospital now. You got … hurt. Badly."

"Ah." Yang was talking so agonizingly slow, but at the same time, she seemed so calm and content. "Did he … did I manage to …."

Velvet brushed Yang's blond strand back behind her ear and nodded happily. "You did. He never got to me. My leg's been busted from that framework, but thanks to you, he never laid a finger on me. Thank you, kitten."

Yang managed a groggy smile. "I'm … glad." Yang closed her eyes again, and this time there was some definite nuzzling but only for a moment before her eyes opened again with a confused look. "Why … am I on … my belly?"

Velvet had to chuckle a bit. "Don't worry. Your back got hurt, so they wrapped you up real good so everything can heal. They propped you up, too, so you don't lie on it."

Yang nodded slowly. "How … long … ?"

"Around sixty hours. You were in surgery for a long time. Don't worry; I made sure they treated you nicely."

"You were here … the whole time?" Velvet nodded and wiped the last of her tears with her free hand. Yang's left arm came up, slowly reaching, and Velvet reacted immediately by taking Yang's hand with her own, carefully so she would not put pressure on the girl's bandaged forearm. Yang smiled with closed eyes and brought both their hands back down to the bed. She sighed contently and nuzzled herself deeper into Velvet's hand. "Thank you, Velvet … for staying … and not leaving me behind."

Velvet showed a genuine smile as Yang went back to sleep. "I'd never leave you like that."

  

**Friday 2110.**

**Four months and three weeks after F.B.**

  

Coco managed to silently leave the bedroom of her office and step onto her balcony. As much as she hated having a separate bedroom from the rest of the battalion, she could not deny the merits. Coco had not even bothered to put on clothes. Instead, she relished how the chilly winter air played with her still flushed and sweaty skin. She threw a careful look back to ensure that she managed to sneak out without waking Fox, before bending over the railing, looking up to the clear night sky.

"Do you always walk around your base in the nude?"

Coco was startled for just a little bit at the sudden voice addressing her, only until she managed to recognize it. She answered without removing her eyes from the sky. "Do you always break into high-security compounds without permission, Lucky?"

"I wouldn't call it  _high_  security, no offense." Lucky settled themselves next to Coco. "Also, I am fairly certain I told you not to call me that. The name does not fit me. It's just a stupid pun."

Coco just huffed. "And I told you it is not just a pun on a stereotype. It fits you perfectly. You're just too blind to see it." Coco turned around, facing her visitor fully. "So, what is it this time, Blake?"


	25. Good Intentions

**Saturday 0930.**

**Four months and three weeks after F.B.**

 

 "So … tell me again. Why are we going to Junior's right now?"

Coco sighed deeply at Blake's question. This was the third time today that the faunus had asked her that and no matter how many times Coco told her why she just knew Blake would ask again.

_Not like she doesn't understand, she just doesn't want to go, and she's grasping at straws here. Not that her hesitation is not warranted though. Junior will probably chew her out again. Like every time before. Well, she won't get any help from me in that regard, anyway._

It was a sunny winter morning, and Coco and Blake were slowly making their way through downtown Vale towards the harbor district. Coco was in plain clothes, just tight blue jeans with brown leather boots and a dark blue hoodie, representing a local sports team. She had swapped her beret for a cozy beanie and left her signature sunglasses at the base. The only significant part of her outfit was the brown jacket, casually wrapped around her waist and covering her backside. Her backside and her sidearm. She did not expect to actually need it, but after what happened a few days ago it was better to be safe than sorry. Nevertheless, she went with her sidearm instead of her handbag. That would most likely be a bit too much overkill.

"As I told you the last two times you asked, my world does not revolve around you, Lucky. I have appointments to keep, you know? If you had wanted my full attention, you'd made an appointment." Coco grinned at the annoyed huff she was receiving from Blake. "Besides, Junior will likely have more info than me and maybe some footage from the White Fang attack that would prove useful for you. You said that's why you came here, right?"

"Ye, whatever." Blake fell silent after that and Coco chanced a glance at her. Blake was wearing a white coat with black knee-high boots, black pants, and a black turtleneck. She stuck out like a sore thumb compared to Coco. At least Blake had the mind to conceal her weapon under the coat. That was not the only thing the Faunus had concealed, though.

"Why are you even wearing that?"

There was no need for Coco to be particularly specific about what she meant; Blake understood right away.

"You are the one who went in plain clothes to not attract any unwanted attention. This serves the same purpose. We don't need any racism added to our problems."

Coco blinked twice at that and started to look around. Since it was Saturday morning, there was not much of a crowd, maybe even less than usual. Not surprising given the White Fang attack. It would take a while for normal life to pick up again. However, what Coco saw stood in stark contrast to what Blake was inferring. About half the people she saw were Faunus. And they were not alienated either. Many faunus owned shops in Vale City and none of them seemed less frequently visited. Humans were shopping at faunus-owned businesses, faunus were shopping at human-owned businesses, heck humans are working for faunus' and the other way around. And right as she thought that she heard a couple of human and faunus kids playing across the street with their parents standing together and chatting casually.

"You know, I keep hearing this spiel of racism and hate towards faunus from you, but I don't see it. I mean, take a look around! I'd say this looks like a pretty normal coexistence to me."

Blake huffed again, and Coco noticed that she did not even try to look around. "That's just because we're in public. Everyone upholds this image of peace and quiet but behind closed doors the hate breeds and lashes out."

Now it was Coco's turn to huff. "So according to your logic, everything is fine in public, so therefore you have to hide your ears under that bow because you don't want to get harassed in public. That about right?"

"Don't try to sass me, Shades. You know very well that I am right."

"Look, I shared your concerns about the public turning against the faunus after the Fang attacked Beacon. It was a legitimate concern; people are dumb like that. But that didn't happen; if anything it brought humans and faunus more together in their hate against Atlas and the White Fang. We patrolled this city for months now, and there is no lingering racism or hidden agendas. I lived in Vale for most of my life, and I honestly don't know where you got that idea from."

"You know damn well where I got that idea from!" Blake had her voice raised now, but she did not stop walking or looked at Coco for that matter. "Faunus are treated like crap, working themselves half to death in the SDC mines! We lose people there every day and for what? They barely make a living. You just have to look at Atlas itself, and how they view faunus. They think we're inferior beings! Even in Vale! Every time you step foot into a bar or a club, somewhere outside the public view, where the humans feel comfortable, you get harassed. I literally get catcalled, and don't get me started on racial jokes like 'where's your owner' or 'are you in heat, yet'. And you of all people should know that! How many times did Velvet get attacked by that asshole Cardin and his te …."

Blake did not get to finish the sentence because Coco grabbed her by the neck and slammed her so hard into a nearby wall, that all the air was driven out of her lungs. Passersby stopped around them and started to walk in different directions, blowing every faint air of inconspicuousness they had out of the window. Blake could not care less about that right now, though. She was looking into brown eyes filled with murderous intent.

"I will make something perfectly clear to you, Belladonna. I don't really care about your worldviews or the delusions you have. I don't really care about a shitty employer mistreating his workers; halfway across the world no less. In fact, since those workers are currently mining dust intended to kill me and my troops, I'd actually be happy if accidents would slow the production. I don't care about stuck up Atlas pricks who treat everyone like shit. I'd wager my family and I were in Atlas more times than you even saw the coastline, and we were treated like shit, too.  _And_  my family was likely richer than most of those assholes. And boo-huu some drunken punks hit on you with stupid pick-up lines in a club. Do I need to tell you how many times I get those lines? They use the first thing they see, my sunglasses, my beret, my family, my heritage, my ass, my tits, my hair. Sucks for you that you got more obvious targets like a set of ears, but it's the same god damned thing every human girl has to endure, only we don't bitch about it and call it racism. It's called sexism, honey, get with the program."

Coco drew closer to Blake's face, still half choking the faunus in her vice grip.

"Yes, Cardin was an asshole and a coward in school. He and his team were bottom tier, and they did the only thing a teen in school knows how to do to keep themselves from being the laughing stock: they started bullying others. They bullied Velvet because she didn't want to fight back against people. She was a fear-ridden bundle of anxieties back then and an easy target. That had nothing to do with racism, that was just a convenient justification. He bullied Nikos' partner way more, and unless he got a tail stuck in his butt, he surely wasn't a faunus. They even tried to bully Fox because he's blind. Oh wait, let me guess, Fox surely is a faunus as well and has some crazy bat-vision. Geez, I should tell him that, he'll be  _so_  relieved to hear that he is not actually blind." Coco's voice was dripping with venom at this point. "Cardin and his goons were punks in school but when shit hit the fan, they were right there. Day one, no questions asked. When my team and I were lying in the mud, they were right there beside us. When we needed our backs watched, they already got us covered. And in the end, they died defending your daddy's dust convoy with your ass in it, or have you already forgotten that?"

Coco released her grip and Blake sank down a bit, trying to catch her breath. Once Blake had her breathing under control, she looked at Coco while rubbing her sore neck.

"I haven't forgotten. Sorry, 'bout that, I get carried away when I'm angry. I was out of line."

"Damn, right you were." Coco turned around and started walking again and Blake was quick to catch up to her. "I appreciate the deal we have, Lucky, I really do. You are a big help, no, a  _great_  help. The data you gave us about the White Fang and their operations saved a lot of lives. And without you, it would have taken a lot longer to establish contact with Menagerie and to work out that dust deal. So I'd like to continue our arrangement.

But if you  _ever_  talk shit about my friends and comrades again, I will  _end_  you. I'll make sure to make it racist enough to satisfy your beliefs, too. I can think of something, no worries; there's more than one way to skin a cat like you."

 

 

A few minutes later, Coco and Blake walked into Junior's club. Or, what remained of it. Work to rebuild the establishment had started a day ago, and so far it was much more about removing the rubble than actually rebuilding anything. Both women made their way through the workers without getting stopped by anyone. Once inside the building, the first thing they saw was Junior himself, standing in the middle of the ruined dance floor with clipboard in hand and directing traffic. He still looked worse for wear, with a bandage around his forehead, but that did not seem to stop the huge man. Both of them made it about halfway towards him before he noticed.

"Great, just what I needed. Of course,  _she_  shows up right after a Fang attack. Why is she here, Shades?"

Coco swore she heard Blake growl and decided to defuse this situation. "Calm down, Junior. Lucky dropped by yesterday evening. She got information about who attacked you, so I figured I'd bring her along."

The big man crossed his arms over his clipboard. "Why am I not surprised? Couldn't have had that intel a few days earlier? I thought to prevent stuff like this was part of your deal with Shades."

Blake stepped up to Junior and threw him a glare. "I was tracking a suspicious elephant faunus that showed up in Menagerie about a week ago. We suspected he might be a recruiter for the White Fang but we didn't know for which branch. He talked to a lot to the youth and apparently managed to recruit a bunch of them. Good kids with good intentions."

"Yeah, right. I saw their  _good intentions_. They left a lot of civilian blood on my dance floor."

Blake decidedly ignored that. "When we tried to bust him, he and the recruits were already gone. We didn't expect them to leave so early. It took us an additional day to figure out how they got off the island and where they traveled to. Once we did, I came here myself to warn Shades, but by then I had already heard of the attack. Their time frame was extremely narrow; they pretty much would have had to attack right after they got the recruits to Vale. It makes no sense why they wouldn't invest time to train their recruits up first."

"Makes perfect sense to me."

Blake and Junior looked at Coco, clearly surprised by that.

"I mean you don't need to drill people how to aim a gun towards civilians and pull a trigger. Besides, not giving the new blood time to rethink their decision and instantly throw them in an extreme situation where they are forced to kill, solves a lot of problems. You don't have to worry about someone getting cold feet and trying to bail after you peer pressured him into committing second-degree murder. They likely needed some manpower and decided to fast-track the recruitment process. As I said, makes sense to me."

"Shades, you frighten me sometimes." Junior shook his head. "This is all fine and good, but what exactly can I do with that information? As I said, I could have used that earlier, but now I couldn't care less about the life stories of a bunch of dead guys."

Blake looked like she was about to snap but Coco laid a hand on her shoulder and interjected.

"You keep surveillance records of the club, right? I'd like you to let Blake go through them."

"And how exactly does that help?"

Blake rolled her eyes. "It should be obvious that the Fang is still active within Vale, even though they went suspiciously quiet these last weeks. I'd like to verify if most of the people used in this attack were really the ones they just recruited because that would mean their main force in Vale was too preoccupied with something else. And I'd rather like to find that something out before it blows up in our faces."

"Couldn't you just look at their corpses in the morgue?"

"We will do that later, too. But, some might have wounds that will make it harder to identify them. I heard there was a quite substantial fire. Also, things like mannerisms and movements are vital and I can't observe those from corpses."

Junior ran a hand over his eyes, then waved one of his goons over. "Fine. Hey, show our guest the security footage from the attack. Shades and I need to talk about something first."

The goon nodded and gestured Blake to follow him. As the faunus left, Junior turned to Coco.

"Seriously, why is she here?"

Coco shrugged. "Maybe she does actually find something of use in those files."

"But that's not the reason you want her to see them."

"No." Coco crossed her arms and sighed. "She hasn't even asked about Yang yet. I told her Yang was there, and she didn't even ask if she was okay."

" _What?_ " Junior looked legitimately angry at that. "What's that supposed to mean? I figured she'd go to see her right away. Aren't they supposed to be partners or something?"

"You're surprised at that? She left Yang after Yang lost her arm. You really think Lucky would care about third-degree burns?"

Junior grunted again. "But obviously  _you_  do think that. Why else would you have wanted her to see the footage, right?"

"Something like that." Coco seemed to trail off a bit before fully turning her attention back to Junior. "So, what did you want to discuss with me?"

Junior took a few steps to stand beside Coco so she could have a look at his clipboard. "As you know, to get some of our wares smuggled in we have to traverse Grimm territory. Nothing my boys couldn't handle but now I only got a handful of men left. It'll take some time to get new ones. So until then, we can't run those risky routes. Unless you could manage to lent us a few men."

Coco grimaced. "Even if our recruits were remotely capable yet, it'd be hard for me to pull this off right now. I'd have to send some of the officers I trust but Goodwitch poured tons of police duty on us until CC and Gadget are out of the hospital. She got us covering four districts now. I got barely enough people to even pull that off. What supplies would we lose without these routes."

Junior flipped through a few pages to show her. "Mostly medical supplies like prescription drugs and medications. We'd have to get most of that stuff out of Atlas, and that entails smuggling it out of the city and over some frozen wastelands full of Grimm."

"Hmm. We'd have to inquire what the city's estimated inventory of this stuff is. Maybe we can manage a few weeks without new influx. I'll see what I can do. What about you? Need any help with rebuilding your club?"

"No, but it would have been easier if, oh I dunno, _someone_  hadn't decided to blow a giant hole in my roof and obliterate my walls with armor-piercing rounds."

Coco glared at him. "Oh, I am sorry. Next time we try to knock at your silly steel-reinforced-wanna-be-gateway door and hope the Fang is so kind to open it up again. And not kill us on sight while they're at it. Just send the damned bill to the base, I figure out a way to cover the collateral." Coco sighed. "Besides, can you really blame me for going over the top after what they did here?"

Junior frowned, his voice came out very weak. "No. No one who saw that shit could just shake it off as if it was nothing."

"You two done?" Blake was back, earning confused looks from Coco and Junior. "I watched the tape and got what I wanted. I should be able to identify a few of the attackers but we'd still need to check the morgue, just to be sure. Shall we head there now?"

Coco just nodded and Blake started to leave. Junior and Coco exchanged a brief bewildered look before Coco hurried after Blake.

_Apparently, somebody can indeed shake it off. I'd be impressed but this lack of reaction makes me sick._


	26. At All Costs

**Saturday 1120.**

**Four months and three weeks after F.B.**

 

The Vale City Central Morgue was a plain gray building for depressing purposes. It had no business to display cheery or hopeful colors, so it did not even try. The interior was no better: just a series of sterile looking waiting rooms and cooled medical rooms that would remind anybody of freezers if the implications of that would not be so cruel. But the worst of all was the smell. Chemicals were needed to preserve the deceased for at least a little while and the scent these produced was barely tolerable for everyone experiencing it for the first time.

Coco, unfortunately, felt herself getting used to that odor. She had already spent too much time in this building, waiting for the families of fallen comrades and friends. She had to force herself to keep her eyes open. Otherwise, images and sounds of weeping families flooded her mind. Too much bad memories were made in this place, and it likely would not stop anytime soon.

All of that did not seem to bother Blake at all. If the faunus' heightened senses made it difficult for her to stand the scent, Blake did not show it. Right now the cat faunus was moving from corpse to corpse with her scroll in hand and a professional demeanor that, in Coco's mind, might as well be borderline boredom. Coco stood idly by as Blake identified the dead White Fang members. Honestly, she had no intentions to spent time with dead terrorists, so she let Blake do the work while she served as glorified entrance key and authentication.

"I think I got it." Coco looked up to see Blake putting the shroud back over a deer faunus' face. "Between this and the videotape, I think I found all the folks the Fang recruited from Menagerie. Damn, they really got them all killed right away." Blake walked towards the biggest table in the room. Even as a corpse that elephant faunus still looked impressive. She removed the shroud from his face to see the broken off tusk driven through his skull. Blake stroke almost gently along the bloodied tip of the tusk. "Even for what he did to those poor souls, that is an unnecessarily brutal way to go."

Coco had to convince herself to stay calm at the unfortunate wording. "This was at least fast and relatively painless. He deserved way worse. You saw what he did to Yang, didn't you?"

That drew no reaction what so ever from Blake and Coco raised her eyebrows in shock. She even went out of her way to make it personal by using Yang's real name, and Blake still did not react.

"Did you hear me, Blake?"

Blake turned her head slightly to answer over her shoulder. "Of course I did."

Not receiving any more than that Coco decided to pry. "And?"

"And what?" Blake put the shroud back over the Fang Captain's face and started to walk past Coco. "We should discuss how we proceed further. I suggest outside though; this odor is taxing."

Coco was momentarily stunned at that exchange and had to hurry to catch back up to Blake. Once they were out of the room and in a corridor, she grabbed Blake's arm and forced her to turn around.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Belladonna?" Coco could barely contain her rage at this point. "How can you be so calm after what you saw today? This bastard almost burned them alive!"

"And what do you want me to do about that?" Again, Coco was shocked by the cold response. "What exactly would me fussing over this whole situation accomplish? I could yell and cry all I want; it would serve no purpose because it would not change anything. I can't face her, not yet, not before I am finished and know she will be safe. I told you why I made this decision and nothing has changed. It is unfortunate that she got hurt, but there is nothing I can do now, is there?"

Coco frowned. "Yang's wounds run deeper than for what she is hospitalized for. If you would just visit her, I am sure that …"

"You sure that  _what_ , Shades?" Blake freed her arm with force and glared at Coco. "You think this is easy for me? Do you think I am not worried about her? That I don't feel bad? Because I  _am_  worried! I  _do_  feel bad! But it doesn't  _matter_! I can go to her and talk, and  _maybe_  she understands and forgives me, but in the end, I'd have to leave again because  _he_  is out there and he won't hesitate to hurt her again, and I can't allow that! Because of me, she will never be safe as long as he is not beaten, and I refuse to be the cause of more of her pain!"

Coco crossed her arms and frowned. "After the Fall, when you first came to me, I understood where you were coming from. To an extent, I can still understand it. But having spent more time with Yang … did you ever consider that you leaving without a word causes her more pain than the loss of her arm?"

Blake huffed, turned away and started to walk. "The next time he comes after her to hurt me, he will take more than just her arm. Even if I cause her more pain, I'd rather have that than seeing her get killed."

"But are you sure that this would be Yang's choice too?"

"I know what her choice would be. I knew it before, and she proved it that day when she charged in blindly just to protect me. I know  _exactly_  what she would choose. That's why I don't let her choose. Not until I've dealt with him myself."

Coco stayed silent all the way out of the building. It was clear that Blake would not change her mind no matter what Coco would say to her. And in a way, Coco could understand her. Giving up one's own wants and needs to protect others, that, Coco could get behind. But there was this deep-rooted fear Blake carried; that forces her into these decisions. The fear of that man; Coco could not understand it. Then again, when was fear ever logical.

The street around them was empty, unsurprisingly so, things were depressing enough without hanging around the morgue.

"Come on, Shades. We still have to schedule the transport of the bodies back to Menagerie."

_Wait … What?_

Coco could only stare at Blake. "Excuse me?"

Blake turned around again and put on a neutral face. "The bodies of the dead White Fang recruits. We need to have them prepped for transport so we can return them to their families."

Coco had a hard time believing what she was hearing. "Like hell, we will! They're terrorists! After we're done with the autopsies, we'll incinerate them in the next best fire and leave them there."

Blake let out a low growl. "They're good citizens that were led astray. They have the right to get a proper burial. Or do you want to tell me that this is the way Vale treats all of their war enemies?"

"War? We're not at war with the faunus! We're at war with Atlas! These are no honorable combatants; these are terrorists! They butchered civilians in cold blood. They deserve no respect what so ever!"

"They are victims!" Blake was shouting at Coco now; barely a few inches between their faces. "Idealists who wanted to fight for their people, to protect their rights and who were tricked!"

"Led astray? Tricked? They massacred civilians!"

"They only wanted to punish humans for their crimes against our race!"

"Punish humans? I have dead faunus civilians in this morgue!"

"Then it was unfortunate they came into the line of fire! The White Fang doesn't kill Faunus!"

"Are you insane? There were only a dozen human civilians at the club! Junior's is equally popular between humans and faunus, heck half of his men these days are faunus! You saw the damned tape! They went there to kill  _everybody_  so don't give me that righteous, race war bullshit!"

Blake and Coco were glaring daggers at each other. Their noses were almost touching by now. Blake lowered her voice into a dangerous growl. "Why do you pretend to care? You're human after all. This is none of your business."

"No, it's none of yours! I was in this building the day after the attack. I talked to the families of the dead civilians that died on  _my_  watch, in one of  _my_  districts. I failed every single one of those faunus and humans, and you better believe that I care about that. I own every one of those deaths. Twenty-seven faunus civilians, thirteen human civilians, eleven of Junior's men, five of which faunus. I know all of their names, and I personally talked to all of their families and friends. Because that was my duty, because I failed my responsibility and I stood my ground and owned up to my mistakes."

Coco held Blake's stare and had to control herself from beating the faunus to a pulp.

"You are the one who has no right to be here, Belladonna. Do you think I am stupid? That I wouldn't see what you are doing here? You have a damned list of everyone who attacked the club, and you had that  _before_  we went to Junior. The whole reason you can identify every one of them is that you already knew who left that island of yours! And if you knew that, why didn't you and your folks stop them, Blake, huh? I tell you why, because you didn't want to. Because you used them as bait, you trailed them and hoped they would lead you to Taurus. But they didn't. They just went to attack a club and what did you do? Did you warn me or the others? Did you step in and help? No, because that would mean your precious bait would be lost. So you did nothing and waited for the Fang to win and lead you to their base afterward. But we managed to kill them all, and you lost your precious trail."

Coco took a step back; her eyes still fixed on Blake who now had her hand under her coat, clearly grasping her weapon.

"That's why you came to me. You needed me and my access to check if every one of your oh so precious good kids was accounted for or if one slipped out, so you could find that one and have him lead you to the other Fang in the City. But they all died, and you got nothing for it, so now you want to be noble and bring these terrorists home to ease your conscience. You're right, they are victims, but not of the Fang, they're victims of your obsession with Taurus!"

Blake didn't respond. Instead, she drew her sword with an angry snarl, but by the time her sword was pointed at Coco she was looking into the barrel of Coco's sidearm.

"You're useful to us, Blake. Always have been and this here won't change that fact. We need you and your contacts to Menagerie the same way you and Menagerie need Vale and me. It wasn't Goodwitch or your dear daddy that initiated the talks between Vale and Menagerie. It was you and me because we both needed something from each other and had way too much political ambitions to not draw profit from it all. We were the ones who convinced our superiors to make that dust deal because, in times of crisis and chaos, ranks and administrations mean jack shit. The ones with the balls and arrogance to take things into their own hands are the ones calling the shots."

"So because of that you know that this is not an idle threat: This is my city. My responsibility. So if you pull that shit again, well, I told you how this would go down."

Coco stared at Blake, as she slowly drew the hammer of her gun back, sending an unmistakable message.


	27. Lost In Translation

**Saturday 1410.**

**Four months and three weeks after F.B.**

 

"… and she was yelling at me the whole time! I swear she actually let bricks drop on me on purpose while she was trying to dig me out, just to rub it in."

Velvet was laughing heartily at Yang's story. "She did not! Not even Coco is this cruel."

Yang was laughing as well. "She totally did! I deserved it though. That's what I get for barreling through a wall just to save time."

Both of them were sitting in their shared hospital room, Velvet on a comfy chair with her bandaged leg propped up and Yang upright on her bed. Yang's upper body was still tightly wrapped in bandages but thanks to her aura working overtime, and a considerable dose of aura stimulants, she could manage sitting and being propped against cushions. She still had to sleep on her belly; yet, the healing process was processing smoothly. So smoothly that Yang got released from the intensive care ward the day prior. Velvet had instantly demanded a two-bed room for them and had not accepted any objections.

The two spent nearly their entire time talking about everything that came to mind. Well, almost everything. Fun anecdotes about Yang's time in Signal or Velvet's humongous family came a long way where bonding to each other was concerned, and Velvet had to admit that talking with Yang came very easily, but in the end, it was nothing more than a distraction from the topic they really had to talk about.

And so Velvet fell silent after that shared laugh, like she often did since Yang woke up. Her head hung low, staring at the ground, hesitant and awkward. Yang noticed, of course, she always noticed but just like the past days she did not say anything about it because Yang herself was grateful for the delay. It had given her more time to collect her thoughts. But she also knew that leaving those things unsaid would cause more harm than good in the long run.

"Velvet. We need to talk about what happened. You know that, right?"

Velvet sighed, her ears drooping, but she nodded nonetheless. "Yeah … I know."

The faunus dreaded this conversation. Not because the topic was unpleasant, quite the opposite actually, but because she was  _embarrassed._ When she was trying to figure out what was going on in her head, she was so convinced that she was just imagining feelings, projecting, only trying to find reasons why her feelings were not true. She never actually considered that she might be wrong and that there really would be something there. Now, Velvet had it figured out at least, but that only complicated things.

In hindsight, it was pretty obvious to be honest. Her initial thought of her projecting the feelings she had for Yatsu onto Yang was not that far off: she just had not thought about the possibility that Yang and Yatsu might share traits that Velvet appreciated.

_You feel safe around her, silly bun. You might not know why exactly but you can ****_****_'t_ _deny it's true. Might be that you saw her with different eyes after you heard that she lost her arm to protect Blake. Might be because she trusted you and opened up to you, and you alone. On a topic that was and likely still is haunting her, no less. You were hurting and she put her pain aside to help you because you needed it. And if you didn't know after that mission where she tried to protect you from the Deathstalker, while you were just goofing off, you sure as hell know now after the club attack. She cares and she protects, what more do you want?_

"Listen, I know what happened was not planned. We were vulnerable and carefree. When you let your guard down … things like that just happen."

Velvet shook her head slightly as if to shut out the nagging voice in her head and tried to focus on what Yang was saying. But she had trouble listening while her heartbeat rose up, indicating her rising panic. They almost kissed in the club. They were  _so_  close, and Velvet did not really know where that came from. Sure, she figured out why she could let her guard down when she was with Yang, but she could do that around Fox and Coco too, and she never tried to make out with them! Well, there was that one time with Coco … but that was a bet, which totally did not count!

"And our judgment was clouded, too. I don't know about you Velvet, but I could have done with a bit less alcohol."

Maybe that was it? They did drink a bit. No, that was not nearly enough to make Velvet handsy. Besides Junior had a point; she did dress differently. Maybe she really was planning to get into Yang's pants. Velvet's eyes widened at that thought.  _Woah, where did that come from?_

"… and before you say anything: I don't do that with everyone! In fact, I only did that twice before in my life, so you don't have to worry about me being reckless like that. You're important, special even."

_What did she just say? Oh my gosh, am I blushing? Why does she say things like that? Keep your wits together, Velvet, and focus on the conversation! You missed half the sentence it was probably not at all what it sounded like._

"And you can figure how the last one turned out, so yeah … not really a fan of doing that stuff casually."

_Well, it does sound like what I thought it was. But come on, there_ _'s no way. This is just a casual thing; we were on like half a date or something. It's way too early to get this cheesy. Then again she did call me special …._

"So yeah, there's no need to be alarmed. Like I said, I only ever did it with Blake and Ruby, so … "

_Blake, of course, that made sense. Yang did say she was in love with her, even though she didn_ _'t realize it at the time. I had a feeling that there was more, that talk we had, the pain she showed that day, I figured as much. And Ruby … wait, Ruby?_ Velvet's thoughts came to a screeching halt, and she raised both hands, head shooting up to find Yang's eyes.

"Hold on! You did that with Ruby? Your  _sister_? Ewww, Yang, that's … seriously what is wrong with you?

Yang seemed taken aback by that. She blinked in few times in confusion and tilted her head.

"What? Why wouldn't I do that for my sister? If anything she's the most likely candidate for it. After that, it's probably Dad."

Velvet pressed her rabbit ears to her head and pressed her hands over her normal pair. "For fuck's sake, Yang! I don't need to know that. Oh gods, now I got images in my head! Also making out with your sister sounds highly illegal!"

Just then Velvet saw Yang go through a couple of emotions at a very rapid pace. First off was utter confusion but once she realized what Velvet said Yang's eyes widened comically, and blood rushed into her face. Embarrassment and panic took control, and the former blonde was stuttering, falling over her own words.

"Wha … wait, no, no, I, I mean, we, I mean … what? Why would I … we, I mean … I didn't kiss Ruby! What the hell, Velvet?"

Velvet's ears perked up again as it was her turn to be confused. She eyed Yang's beet red face curiously and uncovered her normal ears.

"But you just said you only did that with Blake and Ruby."

"Yeah? What does that have to do with kissing?"

"But … that's what we were talking about, right?"

"What? No! I was talking about protecting you from those flames! Geez, Velvet!"

And just like that Velvet felt her face heat up, likely in an attempt to match Yang's shade of red. Both women looked at each other, shocked, embarrassed and blushing like schoolgirls. And then they both started to laugh, a healthy, heartfelt laugh. They did that for quite a while until they stopped and Velvet had to wipe a few tears of joy from her face.

"You know, Yang. I think I haven't laughed like this in a long time. Honestly, I thought, with the war and what happened, I lost the ability to do so. So thank you for that."

"You're welcome, but next time don't try to give me a heart attack by saying things like that."

Both women shared a light chuckle and a minute of pleasant tranquility after that until Velvet spoke up again.

"So … you were talking about you protecting me? Then why did it sound like you were apologizing?"

"Because I was?"

"Why?"

Yang rubbed the back of her neck with her hand. "I thought that maybe you were mad at me for doing so? That I was too reckless."

Velvet raised an eyebrow in concern as she saw the defeated look on Yang's face. "Yang I would have died if it wasn't for you. How could I possibly be mad at that?"

Yang visibly grew even more uncomfortable. "I … I don't know. I figured you might think negatively of me because I got myself hurt and landed in the hospital and … I dunno."

"Yes, it was a bit reckless but come on, given the circumstances there really wasn't much of a choice. So why would you beat yourself up about … ." Velvet grew silent as it dawned on her what this was really about. "This is about Blake, isn't it?"

Yang let her head drop, looking utterly defeated. Her left arm started to tremble, and Velvet gently reached and took Yang's hand between her own to stop it from shaking.

"When I woke up … after I lost my arm … and Blake wasn't there … I didn't know what to think. I got told that I managed to save her, so she was fine … but why wasn't she with me then? I couldn't understand. After a while, I figured maybe it was because I got hurt, you know? That I somehow disappointed her, that she was ashamed to have a partner who recklessly threw her life and future away. Or something like that …"

Velvet slowly stood up and scuttled over to Yang's bed, settling herself on its edge. She still held on to Yang's hand and placed it on her lap, together with her own. Velvet reached out and gently cupped Yang's chin, encouraging Yang to look at her. When watery lilac eyes met her own brown ones, she slowly caressed Yang's cheek with her thumb.

"Yang. You saved my life. When that guy aimed at me, I gave up. I knew it was over. I closed my eyes and waited for my end. But it never came. Instead, I looked up and saw you, protecting me, shielding me. Like my own beautiful guardian angel. I can't imagine how much pain he inflicted on you. I lost my will to live but you refused for me, you wanted me to live and when you told me as much … I believed you. You gave me my life back, Yang. And I could never hate you for that, or leave you behind. If you like it or not, you're stuck with me now. Until I manage to repay this debt that I can never possibly repay."

Yang held Velvet gaze the whole time, and Velvet could see those lilac eyes widen even further. But there was also a light spark in them, a little shine that let Velvet know she came through. Yang smiled and nodded, and Velvet smiled back. Neither of them said anything, so Velvet let go of Yang's cheek to reach for a handkerchief, offering it to Yang so she could dry her eyes. Yang took it with another honest smile and wiped away the tears she could not prevent. But then Yang's beautiful smile transformed into a dangerous smirk and Velvet felt her internal sirens go off.

"So … you think I am a beautiful angel?"

Velvet did not know what was worse: Yang's ability to ruin a moment or the fact that despite that she instantly blushed furiously.

" _That_  is what you gathered from this? Really? We were having a moment here, Yang!"

The younger woman just laughed happily. "I'm sorry, Velvet. I just wanted to lighten the mood a bit. Besides, weren't you the one who wanted to talk about our almost-kiss? And here I gave that not much of a thought, but now after I know you think me beautiful … hmm, maybe I should revisit that idea."

Velvet groaned and pulled her ears over her eyes. "You seriously thought it was not a big deal?"

Velvet felt Yang's hand on her thigh, squeezing it a bit. "Hey, I am not saying I didn't appreciate it. I just figured two girls in a club, having a good time … gods know we deserved to unwind a bit. This wasn't my first visit to a club like that, and it didn't seem like it was yours either. So I just assumed we were just fooling around a bit, girls need some endearment after all. But, I guess you were actually serious about the date then, huh?"

_Oh crap! Abort! Abort!_ Velvet felt her blush deepen and hoped it would not be that obvious behind her ears. What should she do now? She could admit to Yang that she obviously has a crush, seems like there was no point anymore in convincing herself that she does not have one.  _But she just told you that she thought it was just something to blow off steam! Telling her that you are crushing on her would make it awkward! Heck, you haven_ _'t even figured out yet if it's just a crush or if you want more. Just deny it and figure your shit out, silly hare! She admitted she isn't opposed to fooling around with a girl, so just take that for now and don't screw things up!_

Velvet let go of her ears and shook her head, maybe a little bit too much to be inconspicuous. "What? No, no, just … no. I was … you know … I wanted to make sure that … well that it was really nothing, you know? I mean you know us military folks, constantly seeing each other naked and sweaty, adrenaline running high from missions. We fool around all the time without it meaning much. I just wanted to make sure that, we're on the same page here, right?"

That whole statement came out rushed, and with several changes of tone and by the look on Yang's smirking face it was highly amusing to the younger girl.  _Smooth, Velvet. You totally convinced her there, buddy._

"Well, alright then. And don't worry, we're totally on the same page here, Velvet." Velvet's sigh of relief after Yang's statement was cut short by the immediate follow-up. "But, I must say, you do look really cute when you're flustered like this. Be careful with that, or you might yet sway my opinion."

Yang ended that statement with a wink and wiggling of eyebrows, causing Velvet to go beet red again and this time she was sure the ears she pulled over her face once again could not hide all of her blush.


	28. Soul-Searching

**Saturday 1500.**

**Four months and three weeks after F.B.**

 

The sandbag swung under the stream of punches and kicks, its chains groaning from the movements. Not that it mattered to its assailant. If anything the audacity of the sack to try and escape her punches seemed to motivate Coco to hit even harder. She did not know how long she had been here in the gym of the base now, but judging by the way she was sweating it could have been a while. Dressed in only a tank top and short shorts, tape around her hands and feet, her whole body was covered in sweat. Her arms and legs were getting sore, or had been sore for a while, she couldn't tell, nor did she care. All she wanted to do was pummeling the sandbag until she forgot about the shitty day she had.

So far it was working, and the bag suffered another vicious punch combo that ended in a violent kick that sent it swinging wide. Coco welcomed it back with a quick 1-2 punch, just to grab it and drill her knee into its side repeatedly. Gaining distance with an elbow strike, she landed a hard left kick followed by a few quick ones for good measure. Beating something up was easy, straightforward. It felt good. It certainly helped that Coco already felt like beating something up since morning. Or someone for that matter.

Letting out a frustrated scream she planted a straight right into the sack and remained there, arm outstretched. The bag just swung a bit and bumped right back against her unmoving fist. Panting heavily, sweat dripping to the mats under her, she didn't even notice she was not alone anymore until a voice spoke up.

"Mind if I join in?"

Coco turned her head and looked over the rim of her glasses. Fox came towards her, sporting punch mitts and protective gear, tossing her a pair of boxing gloves. Coco caught them wordlessly and put the gloves on. By the time she was done Fox was already waiting for her in a loose stance. Coco assumed her own stance and drew close enough to throw a few punches towards Fox' guard. He blocked them with his gloves and threw a jab of his own.

"You seem tense, partner."

"Had a bad day." Coco huffed. "Thought I could blow off some steam."

"I figured. I was surprised to hear you left the base earlier."

"Why? You were the one how relayed the message that Junior wanted to talk. Did you forget, Sly?"

"Oh, I remembered, but I figured you would have someone tag along instead of going alone. You're kinda important and easy to recognize."

Coco rolled her eyes before letting loose another punch and kick combo. "I dressed accordingly. Besides, I didn't go alone."

"Oh, really?" Fox raised an eyebrow while blocking. "Because I checked. You ordered to use all of the recruits for police duty so at least two of the officers plus Brush can stay at the base in case of emergency. Therefore all hands were on deck, except for you, me and our hyperactive bus driver. And you surely didn't ask me to tag along."

"Hmm. You spying on me, huh?" Coco chuckled at that, keeping her punches going.

"I take every excuse I get to stare at your butt, Shades."

"Funny. And if you want to know, I had Lucky with me."

She was in the middle of a kick to Fox' side as she said that. Fox, however, quickly caught her leg under his right arm, trapping her there and throwing her off balance.  _"What?_ "

Coco was about to protest but sighed as she saw the look Fox gave her. "Hey, I know Lucky isn't the most liked person around here lately. Believe me I get it. And if it's any consolation: I didn't call her, she showed up yesterday evening."

"I am fairly certain, that yesterday evening you were too busy to receive anything other than my …"

"… She dropped by after  _that._ " Coco interrupted him before Fox could finish his innuendo.

"After …." Fox let go of Coco's leg and crossed his arms, showing a frown. "You woke up in the middle of the night again, Coco."

Coco growled and bobbed her head against her glove. "It's no big deal. I just have trouble sleeping. Trouble clearing my head, you know. It's not … it's not the other thing, okay Fox?"

For a second it seemed as if Fox was not buying any of that but then his expression softened. "Good, I was worried it might have returned."

Coco huffed. "Don't be so dramatic, Sly. You sound like I had cancer. I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine." Coco resumed her stance and was glad that Fox did the same. She hated lying to him, but right now it was better this way. She was too riled up to start a fight.

"Alright, alright. Just talk to me if it changes. We got through it once; we can do it again."

Coco showed him an honest smile. "Thanks. And to answer your question: Lucky showed up while I was getting some air. Turns out she was tracking that White Fang Captain CC took out. So I decided to have her tag along to Junior's."

"I see. And did she find what she was looking for?"

Coco growled angrily and threw another punch. "If you mean confirming that every recruit she let the Fang have, so she could follow them in hope they would lead her to Taurus, had indeed died, then yes."

Fox blocked the punch easily and tilted his head. "Wait. If Lucky was tracking them, why didn't she interfere with the attack?"

Coco grunted and went into an aggressive series of strikes. "She could only follow them if they got out of that alive."

"You telling me she  _let_ them attack? So she could follow them after?"

"Peachy, right? Gets better. She wants to send the corpses home for a proper burial because they were good kids and shit."

Fox growled as well. "You're not gonna let her do this, right?"

"Morgue's privately run. Nothing I can really do to stop her. I can throw a few stones in her way, but that's about it. Threw a tantrum and pulled a gun on her if that helps."

"Certainly makes me feel better." Fox shook his head. After a while, he spoke up again. "Did she ask about CC?"

Coco stopped her punches to rub behind her head. "No. I told her about it, even managed to make sure she saw the footage. Not that Lucky cared. Just spew off more of her 'logic'. If she actually changes her mind and goes to visit CC, I'll eat my uniform."

"That bitch. I still hope you're wrong though. You could use more fiber in your diet, anyway."

Before Coco could retort they were interrupted by Coco's scroll ringing. Taking off her gloves she swiped the device open to read the message, a small smile tugging at her face. "Well, maybe the day isn't as shitty as I thought. Junior found something; he asks to meet me at the downtown hospital in an hour. What do you say, Partner? Quick shower and then we head over there? We got the time."

Fox just shrugged. "I am not even sweaty."

"Not the point, Sly." Fox's confusion only lasted until Coco's top hit his face.

 

 

"… and the news is still going on about the White Fang attack on Junior's. Suddenly everyone has an opinion of who is responsible for the Fang again. Typical."

Velvet was sitting in her usual spot beside Yang's bed, scroll in hand and browsing through the local news headlines. Whenever she found something interesting, she would read it to Yang, whose scroll had been damaged beyond repair by the flamethrower. Occasionally Yang would comment or acknowledge what Velvet was relaying, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

Yang could not stop her mind from going back to the attack, back to the pain and the flames. Every wrong move sent a rush of pain through her still sore back, reminding her of Junior's club, of her rushing towards Velvet's side, throwing caution to the wind and putting herself in harms way without hesitation. Again. She did it again. Just like she did in Beacon. Again she tried to protect somebody and got hurt. And again, for all intents and purposes, she should have died. And that scared Yang. Not the pain; she could handle pain. That feeling that she was not good enough, that she was just good enough to be a glorified meat shield.

_It_ _'s Beacon all over again. I went in to protect Blake, and all I managed to do was needing her to rescue me. Heck, after he cut my arm off, I probably collapsed, and Blake had to drag me out of there somehow. That's why she left, because I am useless and just endanger her. That has to be it. I mean I just proved that again! Again, I went in, and again the person I wanted to save had to … had to … huh._

Yang's eyebrows shot up as she realized that, again, she had a gap in her memory about what happened after she got injured.

"… and the scouting party was found and captured by the 1st Battalion. Great, they get all the fun with the Atlesians while we're stuck here. Sometimes I wonder if there's even a war going on any …"

"Velvet," Yang interrupted her mid-sentence, "what exactly happened after I threw myself in front of you?"

Velvet looked up from her scroll and tilted her head. It took her a second to realize what Yang was talking about. "Oh. You're talking about the club. Hmm, you mean you don't remember?"

Yang shook her head. "I know I rushed in to protect you. And I know the flames hit me, the pain, my clothes burning, the jewelry melting … you said I said something to you, but after that it's blank. I figure I collapsed then, and you somehow managed to get free and take care of that guy before he could incinerate me? I dunno."

Velvet came closer and took Yang's hand between hers. "No, you silly dragon. I told you:  _you_ saved me. I was stuck under that metal construct. The guys had to cut me out; there was no way I was getting out from under that alone. You took that guy out all on your own."

Yang was taken aback by that. She blinked twice, unbelieving. "How?"

"You told me that you refuse to let him hurt me, that you refused our deaths … and then you lit up like a wildfire. Flames exploded all around you, but those were not the flames of the Captain, those were yours, and they were so much more powerful than his. It was like your old hair grew back but as pure flames, more brilliant, longer, more beautiful than before, and it surrounded you like a shield. You rose up, brushed his flames aside as if they were nothing. And then you gripped his tusk and ripped it out like it was a weed, and ran it through his head."

Yang was shocked to hear that. She could not remember any of it. "I … lit up? With flames from my hair? But … I thought my semblance doesn't work anymore …."

Velvet threw her a fond smile. "It does work. You standing there, in front of me, the Captain collapsing … you looked like a flame goddess. I've never seen a flame so bright and …  _alive._ The flames danced around you, protecting, shielding. And for a moment I believed that there was nothing in the world that could ever harm me, not as long as you were around."

Yang was oddly calm, contemplating. "What happened then?"

A frown showed on Velvet's face; she lowered her gaze for a second. "White Fang reinforcements arrived … and you were shot. There was no time to react, they came out of nowhere and nailed you in the back. I saw you collapse and I … I …." Tears were forming in Velvet's eyes; her lower lip started to quiver. "I thought you died! There was blood everywhere, and it kept getting more, and I tried to reach you to stop the bleeding. I tried so hard, I even damaged more of my impaled calf, but no matter what I did you were just out of range. I thought it was happening again…."

Velvet was openly crying now, and Yang pulled her up to the bed and into her arm, letting the faunus use her shoulder. It was not hard to figure out what the ordeal reminded Velvet of. "Hey … it's fine. I am here. I'm okay. I'm sorry for bringing it up. I shouldn't have asked."

Velvet weakly shook her head, keeping her face buried in Yang's shoulder. "No, you had to know. I'm sorry … it just reminded me of … of Yatsu." Velvet lifted her head and wiped her tears away. Still, she remained seated on the bed. "It's fine. I'm good now. Thanks."

Yang nodded and reached for Velvet's hands again, an offer the faunus accepted gladly.

"Shades and the others arrived just in time before the Fang could reach us. They cleared the club, and Doc stopped your bleeding. And here we are."

Velvet finished and smiled at Yang, her hands softly squeezing Yang's hand, as if to ensure that they both are indeed here. Yang was in thought, unsure how to process this new information.

"So … my semblance sparked to protect us. I honestly thought I couldn't activate it anymore."

"Your semblance … you get stronger when you get hit and use that to strike back harder? And when you do your hair lights up and your eye color changes, right?"

Yang nods hesitantly. "That's how I always thought it works, yes. But … sometimes it didn't make sense. My semblance also flares when I get angry. Or it used to at least. But I didn't get hit then. Well, I got hit quite a lot actually, but that was  _after_  getting angry. So I shouldn't have been able to activate it. I always thought it was just a weird kink, not important."

Velvet caught Yang's gaze, listening intently. "But you have doubts now."

"Pretty much." Yang looked towards the window. "Back in Patch … after my injury, I tried to activate my semblance. I mean, I was in a lot of pain and beyond angry. It should have worked, right? But it didn't. I couldn't activate it. Then later once I started to help the townsfolk against the Grimm … I got hit a lot too, but still, it didn't work. So I just figured I somehow … lost it?"

"Hmm." Velvet absentmindedly ran her thumb over Yang's knuckles. "Maybe … you just misunderstood your semblance?"

Yang let out a chuckle. "Get hit, get stronger is pretty straightforward, Velvet."

Velvet huffed. "I know that, but maybe the hits weren't the cause, but something similar?"

Yang tilted her head in confusion. "Like what?"

"I dunno." Velvet shook her head, eyes locked with Yang. "After you came home to Patch … what was your mindset like?"

"Like shit." Yang huffed but did not break eye contact. "I was in pain, I was angry, I felt … betrayed, worthless, weak … it was bad. There were days … well, let's just say it was good that I stayed in bed … otherwise, I would have done something unforgivable. It's funny, really; I even was too weak to harm myself."

Velvet remained collected and did not press any further, though Yang could feel the faunus' grip on her hand strengthen. "And when you helped the townsfolk? Did you feel better then?"

Yang shrugged. "I guess. It felt good to do something other than rot away in my room. The townspeople believed in me, but I knew better. I could barely handle a beowolf; it was good that no one else was around when I fought the Grimm. I could hardly keep myself safe, not that I really wanted to, anyway. At least I would have gone out fighting, you know?"

Velvet was silent for a while. Still maintaining eye contact, but besides slowly caressing Yang's hand, there was no movement coming from the faunus. Yang waited for a while and was about to ask if Velvet had fallen asleep with open eyes when Velvet spoke in a low voice.

"You had no one to protect."

Yang opened her mouth to respond but hesitated.

"When you were in bed at home … you said you felt useless, worthless. That you wanted to hurt yourself but couldn't. For all your pain and anger your semblance didn't activate. And when you helped the townsfolk you were fighting alone, prepared to die … almost seeking death. So it didn't activate either." Velvet refocused her sight on Yang, her hands forming a dome around Yang's hand. "I think anger and pain aren't what triggers your semblance … its what fuels it but not the ignition. I think it's your will to protect that spawns your flames. Either yourself or others … you want to protect so your semblance powers you up so you can do it."

"But … all the times before …."

"Well, think about it: if you get hurt, you want to protect yourself. If others get hurt, you get angry, and you want to protect them. It could be easy to think it was just pain and anger because they are products of your will to protect."

Yang fell silent and looked at Velvet's hands protecting her own.  _Could she be right? It sounds reasonable. And it makes so much more sense for all the time I got angry without being hit. Hell, it even explains that my semblance activates when someone messed with my hair_ _… I was just too protective of it. But how could Velvet figure his out in minutes and I was clueless for years! Did I just not care enough? I mean I never really thought about It … I just thought 'Sweet! Let's wreck shit!'. Yeah, that sounds like me._

"You're wondering why I would be able to figure something so personal out while you couldn't?"

Yang looked at Velvet in surprise. Had she been silent for too long? Lost in her thought? "I mean … yeah. How did you know that was what I was thinking?"

Velvet frowned and lowered her gaze. "I just know that expression. I see it every time I look in a mirror."

Yang tilted her head. "You couldn't figure out your semblance, either?"

Velvet shook her head, her ears drooping down. "It's not quite the same. I know exactly how my semblance works … I just don't understand why it's my semblance … and what it says about me."

Velvet looked incredibly sad right now, and Yang wanted to cheer her up, say something, anything really. But then she noticed that she lacked crucial information.

"I … don't actually know what your semblance is, Velvet."

Velvet chuckled, but there was no real humor behind it. "That's not surprising. I don't use it very much. It's mimicry. I can mimic the exact moves that other people learned and use them in combat. It only takes me a few moments to figure out the entire fighting style of my opponent and copy it, even if he hasn't shown me everything yet."

"Wait, so if I throw three punches at you, you'll know that I will follow it up with a kick?"

Velvet shock her head again. "No, nothing like that. I just figure out what kind of kicks you know, but I have no idea what you are going to do next. Don't ask me how it works. I guess it's based on aura reading or muscle memory, honestly no idea."

"I see. But Velvet, that semblance is  _amazing!_ You can read opponents like it's nothing! That gives you a huge advantage."

"I know. The semblance is amazing, but … ", Velvet showed a weak smile, "I just don't know what it says about me."

"What do you mean?"

Velvet raised her hands to bring hers and Yang's between them, still covering Yang's with hers. "A semblance is an extension of our soul. Like Aura is the part of our soul that protects us, our semblance is an active part that represents who we truly are or at least part of it. If I am right, then yours is your will to protect, to grow stronger and stronger from hardships until you are able to achieve your wish to protect. And that is beautiful, Yang. It shows your compassion for others, your selflessness." Velvet let go of Yang's hand and hugged herself tightly. "But what does mine say about me? I just copy people; I am not even my own person. It's like my semblance shows that I want to be like everyone but myself …."

Yang put her hand on top of Velvet's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. "Maybe you just haven't figured it out yet. Like me."

Velvet shook her head again, looking defeated. "I am pondering about that for years, Yang. It's why I figured yours out so fast. I spent years on the topic just to find out why I have this semblance. And I haven't gotten anywhere. Well, nowhere pleasant at least. I just have to face the fact, that I never will be better than a bad copy of a person."

Suddenly Velvet felt her chin being lifted by Yang's hand. As she looked into Yang's eyes, she couldn't stop a surprised gasp. Instead of the familiar lilac, she was faced with red. Velvet swallowed, and her surprise was replaced by something else. It was not fear but similar. She could not quite explain it, but Yang's commanding gaze all but burned away her self-destructive thoughts.

"You are not a bad copy of anyone. You're Velvet Scarlatina. And no one will ever change that, not even yourself. We will find out what your semblance says about you; I promise you that."

And somehow Velvet believed her. She nodded, and Yang smiled, her eyes returning to her natural shade of lilac. "Good. I must admit though, I am surprised. After our little away mission I thought your semblance had something to do with those blue weapons you use."

Velvet perked up a bit. "Oh, it does have something to do with it. The blue weapons are hard-light projections from my actual weapon. You know, the box I carry on my back? That's my actual weapon."

Yang looked thoroughly confused. "Hard-light … constructs?"

Velvet nodded enthusiastically, happy to dive into a less depressing topic. "Hard-light constructs, yes. It's essentially light dust but highly concentrated. Done in the right way it creates a stable construct made from dust. Normally it would be impossibly hard to make something so detailed, let alone functioning, from dust, but that's where the light dust and the projection come in. You probably have seen me walking around Beacon with my camera." Yang nodded. "The camera is actually part of the weapon. The pictures it takes are the blueprints for the weapons my box projects."

Yang raised her hand, trying hard to keep up. "Wait, wait. You're telling me, instead of pictures, your camera  _projects_ these constructs?"

"Pretty much. Think about it this way: instead of developing the film into a picture like we use for frames and stuff it develops into a projection of aura, encrusted with light dust. And my box works like the darkroom."

"Okay … so you just need to take a photo of something, and your weapon can produce it?"

"Yep. But there are limitations of course. Being developed directly from the camera, pictures don't last very long. And if the dust construct breaks, or if I switch weapons, I can't reconstruct the last construct without using a new, undeveloped picture inside the camera."

Yang taps her chin in thought. "So it's big diversity but only for short periods of time. And I figure you can easily use every weapon of every huntsman ever without trouble because of your semblance. And you came up with that weapon? That's really impressive, Velvet! I am jealous."

Velvet felt herself blushing and quickly waved Yang off. "Oh shush. Every hunter constructs his own weapon. It's not that impressive. And yes, the constructs are short-lived because like with every dust weapon there's friction that slowly destroys the construct. Like erosion. Normally you can compensate by refilling the dust, but it doesn't work here since the projection is one-time use. Not to mention I would not be able to wield the weapon properly if it had to stay in the ongoing projection. Also, the photographic film doesn't survive constant exposure. Like a real picture, overexpose it, and it's useless."

"So if you had a permanent source to project from and a constant projection you could totally make the constructs permanent, right? Or would that drain too much aura?"

"The aura drain would not be a problem. Your aura extends over your weapons already anyway. With a permanent projection, the dust would be even more stable. You'd just have to replace dust if it got chipped away by too much force. That's like reloading or firing … that's essentially nothing, drain-wise. The real problem here is to find a weapon where you could even use that. It can't be anything detached from the body since you have to do things like twirl or shift it around and that would cut the projection off. So you'd have to have a weapon that is fixed and … attached … to the … body."

Velvet trailed off, her eyes widened. She was still looking at Yang, but it seems like the faunus was looking directly through the human. Before Yang could say anything Velvet opened her scroll, and a few seconds later the smiling face of Brush appeared.

"Gadgeeeet, girl, how are you? How's the leg? How's CC?"

"Great, healing and hot. Listen, I got a  _brilliant_  idea! I need my tools, my weapon maintenance kit and a cylinder of military grade light dust, asap!"

"Okie dokie, I'm on it. See you in a few!"

With that Velvet closed her scroll with a radiant smile, barely able to contain her excitement.

Yang felt like she had completely lost control of the situation and after a few seconds, the only thing she could manage was a quick question. "Hot?"

But Velvet only took a look at Yang and chuckled. "You're gonna love this, Yang, I guarantee it."


	29. Melted

**Saturday 1620.**

**Four months and three weeks after F.B.**

 

"Did Junior tell you the reason why we are meeting him in a public place, Shades?"

"Beside him having information? Not really. Relax Sly; he wouldn't have called us up so fast if it wasn't important."

Fox shrugged and continued to walk alongside Coco. The two of them were currently walking downtown towards the general hospital. Coco had changed into a new outfit, keeping the same style she used before. Fox was wearing plain clothes as well. In his case baggy pants, a tank top, and a leather jacket, all in various shades of brown and red. Both were packing: Coco with her concealed sidearm at her back and Fox with two combat knives hidden in his jacket.

Presently, Coco was on her scroll, browsing through some files Mouser had sent over minutes before they left. And she did not like what she saw.

"Great, I was afraid of this." A big frown was on her face. "I got the city's inventory lists for certain medicines. Or better said: lack thereof. Apparently, there is a growing number of patients coming down with cases of sickness. Nothing too threatening and usually easily treatable, but it reduced our reserves to nonexistent. And with Junior's smuggling halted for now, that won't change anytime soon."

"Can't we get the stuff from elsewhere?"

"We're trying, but it's problematic." Coco huffed. "Vale could produce most of the medicines themselves, but some ingredients are missing. Unfortunately, we can only get those from Mistral. And Mistral has stopped sending us civil transports."

Fox' brows furrowed as they kept walking. "Why would they do that?"

"Because, some weeks ago, Atlas started to send patrols to the civil trade routes, threatening the Mistrali transports. Not that they could actually get away with attacking them, but it worked nonetheless. Mistral insists that Vale sends his own transports and guess who Atlas  _is_ able to attack. So yeah, we can only send transports with escorts, and that takes time and slows down the resource flow."

"Sounds like someone messed up in keeping our stocks up beforehand."

"Rather in keeping them safe. Many storage houses got hit by the White Fang after Beacon fell. That's why we're out of the stuff."

"And that's why you need good old me to supply y'all."

Coco and Fox spun around as they heard the familiar voice of Junior as he was approaching them from behind.

"Junior. Weren't we supposed to meet at the hospital?" Coco gave him a judging look.

"You got that right, Shades. But the hospital staff took exception to me insisting on smoking at their entranceway, so they kindly suggested I take a walk around the block until I finished." Junior plucked his cigarette from his mouth for emphasis and snipped it towards the sidewalk.

"I should fine you for littering."

Junior only laughed. "Put it on my tap, Shades. Now come on, let's get this over with."

The large man gestured around a corner, and the three of them approached the downtown hospital. The building itself was not remarkable, like many public buildings in Vale, but Coco had to admit that there was an unusually high number of people leaving and entering the building. But maybe she just thought that because she had just received the report about higher numbers of patients.

As the trio entered the building, Fox nudged Junior's shoulder. "Care to fill us in why we're here?"

"Right." Junior nodded. "A few hours after that lovely visit I got from Shades and Lucky, one of my men contacted me. As you know, some of my guys are still in hospitals, and this particular one is recuperating here. And while taking a stroll through the facility, he spotted something fascinating."

They passed the reception now and made their way up the stairs.

"And what exactly did he find?"

"Not what, who." Junior turned a corner and stopped in front of a windowed treatment room. Inside, a doctor was checking on his patient, who was sitting upright, staring at the opposite wall. Coco was unsure if the patient even noticed the doctor by how unresponsive they were.

"By the lack of reaction, I wager you two didn't have the questionable pleasure of meeting her. But you sure know her former partner: Roman Torchwick." That got him their attention. "I was actually astonished to hear that she's out in the open like that. Given her abilities, I expected some sort of disguise. She used a fake name to check in, sure, but that's about it."

"Torchwick's partner, huh?" Coco tapped her chin in thought. "And you think she might have information about the White Fang?"

Junior shrugged "She's at least primed to know  _something_. Torchwick worked closely with the Fang; likely she knows some hiding spots and hangouts."

Coco nodded and returned her gaze to the woman in the room. With her hospital gown, she surely did not look like a criminal.

"And you think she'll just tell us that information?"

Junior smirked crookedly. "Well Shades, that could be difficult for more reasons than one."

Before Coco could ask what Junior meant by that, the attending physician left the room and turned towards the three.

"Oh, hello. Are you here to visit her?"

Junior just stepped aside and looked at Coco, expectantly. She sighed and addressed the doctor. "Something like that. I'm Colonel Coco Adel, Vale 7th Army Battalion. My associates and I need to have a word with your patient, if possible."

The physician crossed his arms over his clipboard, eying Coco. "Is she in trouble?"

Coco shook her head with a reassuring smile. "We think she might be able to help us out. We lack information in an investigation, and we hope she might be able to fill in some blanks."

"Well, if the garrison commander herself shows up, it sure is important, hm?" His posture relaxed a bit. "Has this something to do with the injuries she sustained? You're the first visitors she had in months. I hope you can shed some light on what happened to her."

Coco looked from the patient to the doctor. "It is possible. Could you tell us exactly what she's suffering from?"

"Well, that could take a while." He flipped his clipboard open and pulled out the patient chart. "About a week after the Fall we received a call from an elderly citizen that had found her collapsed in his garden. When the paramedics found her, she was severely famished and barely hydrated. They managed to stabilize her and transport her to this facility. After she arrived here, we ran some tests. She had several wounds, ranging from barely healed cuts and bruises to deep slashes, likely caused by Grimm, and severely mangled legs, all of them containing infections. We noticed several wrongly healed fractures in her legs and knees, essentially making it impossible for her to move them without reconstructive surgery. We managed to treat the wounds properly and combat the infections and the resulting fever. If you want my guess, then I'd say she was attacked and almost killed by Grimm. However, she managed to escape, and her aura struggled to keep her fever at bay, ultimately failing due to lack of nutrients, which is likely why she lost conscience. Was she part of the Battle of Beacon?"

Coco nodded, trying to suppress her surprise at the list of injuries. "Yes. She was listed M.I.A., believed dead."

The doctor furrowed his brows. "How can that be? We identified her from the scroll she carried and sent her information to the central database."

This time it was Junior who answered. "Your identification was wrong. She likely picked that scroll up from somewhere, and you falsely assumed it as her own. You got her listed under a wrong name. That's why superficial searches overlooked her."

The doctor seemed as if he was about to protest but Coco addressed him first, her sight set on the patient, who was still sitting upright and staring at the wall. "You said you treated her. She doesn't look well."

The physician sighed. "No. Physically she's stable, but her mental health is concerning. Since she regained conscience, she has neither talked nor otherwise tried to communicate. The nurses have to feed her and take her to the bathroom since she's completely unresponsive. Our resident psychologist diagnosed her with a severe case of lost self-preservation. He believes that whatever happened to her caused enough trauma for her to completely shut down. It is likely that the loss of her ability to move her legs amplifies that. Her ID identifies her as a huntress in training and even though you're telling me that we identified her wrongly, given her large amount of aura that might remain true?" He looked at Coco, and she simply nodded. "Well, our psychologist believes that being so soundly defeated in battle and now unable to continue the path she chose caused her bad mental state. He suggests fixing her legs and starting physical therapy in hopes that progress would help to bring her mind in the right place. However, there is a problem with that."

Coco looked back at him. "That being?"

"Well, unfortunately, a surgery like this needs the approval of the patient or, if that is impossible, a relative. Since nobody except the man who found her came to visit, and she remains unresponsive, we could not start the operation. But now  _you_ are here and have correctly identified her, maybe we can find a relative of hers to authorize the procedure?"

The doctor threw an almost hopeful look at Coco, who just turned to Junior. Unfortunately, he could only shake his head. "No relatives."

The doctor sighed. "Well, then there is nothing we can do but hope she regains responsiveness on her own. It is known to happen, but after more than four months it seems unlikely. I am sorry, I know you came here to get some answers, but I am afraid she can't provide them."

Coco turned around and rested her hands on the window sill. Frustration was creeping up in her.  _Of course. Leave it to the health care system to be so damn bureaucratic that it prevents itself from treating patients properly. Then again, if they had, she would likely be already gone by now, and we would have been none the wiser. There has to be a way to get information out of her. We can_ _'t afford to wait. But if the hospital is not allowed to do the procedure, how could we …._

Coco spun around suddenly as an idea struck her. "Sly, contact Doc. Tell him to ready a room at the base hospital. Then call Brush and have her land on the roof here."

Sly nodded, but the doctor moved in, confused and ready to interfere. "Excuse me, but what are you doing?"

Coco turned and stared him right in the eyes. "We're moving her to a military hospital."

"No, you don't. She's  _my_  patient!"

Coco simply stared the physician down. "And you just told us that you could not help her. We can."

"What? How? I mean no offense, but what could a military hospital possibly do that a civilian facility can … not …."

As the physician trailed off, realizing what Coco was up to, the Colonel nodded. "That's right. We're at war, that gives me broad authority in all things concerning the safety of this city. So we're going to transfer her. In a military hospital it does not matter if she or anyone is consenting to an operation, I'll just order it."

The doctor looked back to his patient before his gaze landed on Coco again. He held it for a while before he nodded. "Promise you'll take good care of her."

Coco nodded. "You have my word."

Apparently, that was enough as the doctor, after a last look back to this patient, turned to leave. A few steps later, he stopped, asking one last thing.

"Since we got it wrong all this time: what's her real name?"

Junior showed a small smile as he answered.

"Neopolitan."


	30. Déjà Vu

**Sunday 1010.**

**Four months and three weeks after F.B.**

 

Yang was staring down her opponent with stern determination. She knew that it would come to this. For the last couple of days the animosity between the two combatants had slowly built up, and now it was about to escalate. Ever since Yang was discharged from the intensive care unit her opponent was there, staring at her through the open door of her hospital room. Taunting her, mocking her. But today this would end, today she finally felt strong enough to leave her room and confront her adversary. Today she would get her chocolate chip candy bar.

With intensity in her eyes, Yang was standing in front of the candy machine. She already had paid for and chosen her desired treat, but now the real battle was about to begin. Though she certainly felt well enough to leave the room, she shared with Velvet, and venture across the hall in her hospital gown she had miscalculated slightly. And because of that, she was now staring at her desired candy bar, ready for the taking, but too far down for her to reach.

Yang took a deep breath and tried again. The bandages around her back straining as her freshly healed skin underneath protested painfully. She could almost brush the candy bar with her fingertips, but yet she had to concede. She could have easily asked for help, in fact, several nurses had offered as much, but her pride compelled her to face this struggle alone. And so she tried again, spreading her legs a bit to allow her to go deeper, she gritted her teeth to suppress the pain rolling down her back.

Before she could reach the candy, however, a clothed hand came into view, snatching the treat away and dangled it in front of Yang's eyes in a mocking manner.

"Looking for something, CC?"

Yang let out an annoyed huff. Straightening her back into a less painful position, she offered Coco a glare but took her candy bar from her Colonel's hand either way. "I had that, Shades."

That elected a small chuckle from Coco. "Obviously." The commanding officer was wearing her uniform, which was unusual to Yang. Usually, Coco preferred comfy sportswear during her daily visits.

"Is something the matter, ma'am? You're dressed for duty."

Coco offered a playful shrug at that. "I got business here in a minute, Private. But I came by earlier to check on my two problem children. So how are you and Gadget feeling? Apparently, in your case at least, good enough to attempt some acrobatics."

Yang rolled her eyes at the little jab. "Much better, thank you. I am fully healed, but the skin on my back is still a little sore. The docs say I should be out within a day or two. And Gadget is pretty much ready to go; they removed the bandages around her leg this morning. Though, I am not sure she even noticed that." Yang turned to look into her hospital room. Velvet was sitting at the table surrounded by a mess of electrical parts and tools. At the moment she looked rather cute with her tongue sticking out slightly as she was concentrating hard on fine-tuning something on the table. Velvet had leaned so far forward, the complicated layers of lenses on her glasses threatened to collide with whatever she was currently plunging her screwdriver in.

Coco had followed Yang's gaze and raised an eyebrow at the sight. "I can't believe her. She's supposed to be resting, not tinkering! What's she working on anyway?"

"Heck if I know." Coco crossed her arms and looked at Yang, as the other explained. "She had like an epiphany yesterday, called Brush to bring her tools and then started working. I had to threaten to knock her out to even get her to sleep."

A warm chuckle left Coco. "That sounds like Gadget, alright." The signal of a nearby elevator opening caught her attention. As several nurses were pushing a bed out of the elevator, they gestured to Coco. "Well, looks my business just arrived. I talk to you two later, CC."

Both women exchanged a friendly salute and Yang was about to finally give her candy bar the attention it deserved as she caught something in her peripheral. Something that should not be there. Pink and brown hair.

Yang tensed up immediately.  _No, no, no. I_ _'m imagining things. She can't be here. Why would she even be here? That was probably just my mind being stupid again. Coco wouldn't let someone like her into a hospital, right? Right?._

Against her better judgment, Yang could not help herself and followed after Coco. There was no way that who she think she saw could be Torchwick's lackey, but still, she had to make sure. A bit further down the line, she saw Coco talking to a physician; a nurse was preparing a syringe and in the bed next to her …. Yang slowly approached the window, as if in trance as she stared through it at the petite woman sitting in the bed, unmoving. Yang did not know how long she was standing there, but apparently, Coco had noticed and walked up to her.

Not taking her eye off the criminal, Yang addressed Coco. "How did you find her?"

Coco tilted her head. "You know her?"

"Sort of," Yang nodded. "I faced her twice before. One time after my team and I fought Roman Torchwick at a White Fang meeting and the second time when we were trying to stop the train during the Breach. What is she doing here, Shades?"

"Junior found her in a local hospital. He thinks she might have information we can use to find the White Fang's base of operation in Vale. But she's lethargic for months now, doesn't respond to anything. The psychologist in that hospital thinks she's suffering from severe trauma due to her injuries. From the looks of it, she got mangled by Grimm during the Fall. He suspects her leg injuries cause her mind to give up. Loss of her life goal of being a huntress or something causing a mental resignation."

"That's bull." Yang slowly shook her head. "She's not a huntress; she's a criminal!"

Coco snorted. "I know that. But since the procedure would require the patient to consent, the civilian physicians couldn't go through with it. So I took that convenience to get her into our custody, pretending we're doing it to bypass the needed consent, so that we can fix her."

"Fix her how, exactly?"

"They're going to re-break her legs and knees."

Yang's eyes widened at that. "And you're about to do just that."

It was a statement and not a question, so Coco simply shrugged. "Might as well. Maybe it would help to loosen her tongue once we're doing her a solid."

Yang turned around and looked at Coco, her expression serious. "Shades, she's dangerous. She took me out like it was nothing. Couldn't even land a hit on her. Her semblance is some form of mirror-based illusions as far as I can tell, so she'll be gone the second she can walk again. You can't be serious about this!"

Coco held Yang's gaze with ease and raised fingers as if counting. "One, if we go through this procedure, her aura will have to be suppressed at first, and after that, the legs will have to heal up properly, so she isn't going to be anywhere near fighting shape anytime soon. Two, even if she manages to be somehow able to make a run for it, I have her room guarded 24/7, and the hospital is still on a military base who has guards and fences. And three, she's the only lead we have so far, and I'd rather risk our luck with her than to wait until the Fang strikes again."

Silenced by the scolding, Yang returned her sight back to Neopolitan. The way the petite woman was sitting on her bed, motionless, dressed in a simple nightgown, her shoulders slightly sacked and unhealthily emaciated, Yang felt something in her stomach. She could not quite place it. She was certainly not concerned about the well-being of a woman who tried to kill her, but there was something there. Pity. Pity and a peculiar sense of déjà vu.

"Let me talk to her."

Yang was as surprised as Coco when she heard herself saying those words. "Are you sure, CC?"

"I am." Yang nodded. She had no real idea of how she was to go about this, but somehow it felt like the right thing to do. In fact, she was starting to understand why she was feeling compelled to do something. Coco, however, was having none of it.

"I can't allow that. You just told me you two fought before. You're still not at a hundred percent, so sit tight and let us go through with it. If that doesn't work, we can still bring you in later. Why would you even consider it in the first place?"

"Because she reminds me of myself. In the time after the Fall."

That gave Coco pause. She was looking at the anesthetist who was looking back at her, waiting for the Colonel to authorize the procedure. After a few heartbeats, Coco closed her eyes and sighed. "You got fifteen minutes, CC. If you can't get her to react, we go through with this."

"Thanks, Shades. You won't regret it."

Yang nodded and walked past Coco into the room.


	31. Equals

**Sunday 1030.**

**Four months and three weeks after F.B**

 

Yang wore a hesitant smile while she waited for the physician and the nurse to put back their equipment and leave the room. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Coco still in her spot at the window, keeping an eye on Yang and Neo. Yang was glad for the show of support because frankly, she was far less confident than she wanted Coco to believe. She was only acting on a hunch, and it was entirely possible that this was just a waste of time. But Yang figured she had to at least try.

"Uhm … hey. Neo was it, right?" She did not receive any reaction, but Yang was expecting that. As she drew closer to the other girl, she could clearly see that the injury had taken a toll on the criminal. Neo looked unhealthily thin, fragile. Even without the doctors around, she kept sitting upright, her empty gaze fixed on the opposite wall.

"I don't know if you remember me, but we fought twice before and, well… I'm Yang. In case you, uh … didn't know that." Again, there was no reaction from Neo, as Yang approached the left side of the bed. "Listen, uhm … I don't know all the details, but they told me about your injuries and what they want to do to fix them. You know about that, right?"

Neo remained unresponsive, and Yang was rubbing her neck nervously, unsure how to proceed. "Right, well … if you got concerns about that you can tell us, okay? Shades may seem rough, but she means well. Oh! Shades' the one with the glasses, it's her … well … it's kinda obvious now that I think of it. And … don't worry about you being a criminal and all … she helped me too … and in the minds of everyone else, I'm an even worse offender than you." Yang had her sight downcast at that thought, though the sentiment seemed lost on Neo.

"They're good people, you know. They'll listen to your side, why you worked with the Fang and all … so, no need to be on edge? They do give out second chances; they're good like that." Whatever Yang was trying to do it was not working, so she decided a different approach. "Look, I know what you're going through, I think. For the longest time, I was like you're now … couldn't be bothered to do anything … just lying there, hoping the bad stuff would just … go away, and things go back to normal. But things don't work that way. I know that now. And they all helped me with it, so maybe we can help you too if you let us?"

During her talk, Yang went to sit on the bed, but even that didn't prod a reaction from the petite woman. Yang looked back to Coco who had a soothing smile on her face as if she wanted to ensure Yang that the former blonde had tried her best and should not be worried about the apparently failed outcome.

"You want some candy? I know the hospital food sucks so this might cheer you up a bit?" For emphasis, Yang raised her newly acquired candy bar, her lilac eyes resting on Neo who still refused to even look her way. With a sad sigh, Yang stood up, defeated. "Look, I leave it here just in case you do want it, though. I guess, I'll … see you after the procedure then. I hope it goes well."

With that Yang walked to the bedside table and left her candy bar there. She turned to leave, but only managed to take a few steps before she was stopped. A small hand was grabbing her hospital gown, with a grip not too firm but sturdy enough to give her pause. Yang froze, her eyes wandered to Coco again, who had her sidearm half drawn, as if she was about to intervene but unsure if she should. Then Yang turned her head towards Neo. The multicolored woman had indeed moved, her left hand gripping onto Yang. Even her head had turned, mismatched eyes focusing on Yang, but otherwise as unresponsive as before. She was not directly looking at Yang, though, rather at something further below. _My stump. That_ _'s what she's staring at._

Forcing herself to relax, Yang put up a small smile. "You're wondering about that, huh? It happened during the Fall of Beacon. I tried to protect … a friend, but ended up on the business end of Adam Taurus' sword."

For a moment nothing happened, but then Neo let go of Yang's gown and lifted her head to look her in the eyes. Small hands came up beside Neo's head as she extended her forefingers and placed her hands beside her temples. Her eyes shifted color slightly, as she was waiting for Yang to respond.

Yang let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, that guy. His weapon is no joke."

Neo shook her head slightly and pointed at Yang. Yang raised an eyebrow, trying to understand what Neo wanted to tell her. "Me? What about me?"

Neo rolled her eyes and pointed at Yang again, but this time she threw in a silent laugh.

"Oh,  _I_ am the joke, that it?" Neo nodded with a smirk and rested her hands in her lap.

Yang let out a huff and placed her hand on her hip. "Funny. I see that bravado in the train wasn't just to annoy me. You're a real delight aren't you?"

Neo just shrugged and turned a bit to face Yang better. Yang wasn't quite sure what caused the sudden change in the petite woman, but she certainly got her attention now. In the corner of her eye, she saw Coco relax as well. Her Colonel holstered her weapon but remained standing at the window, keeping a close eye on the situation.

Yang herself was not quite sure how to proceed now. She had not expected Neo to snap out of her state so easily.

"So … what happened to you? You got messed up bad."

Neo didn't respond for a moment before raising her hands to her face again. This time she used her fingers like fangs, coupled with baring her teeth. A moment later she used her arms to make a flapping motion. Yang furrowed her brows at that.

"Not going to make this easy for me, are you? Let's see … teeth, scary visage … monster? Oh, Grimm?" Neo gave her a short nod and flapped her arms again. "Wings, birds, flying … flying Grimm? Nevermore? Griffon?" Two more nods from Neo before the petite woman rested her hands in her lap again. "So you were attacked by Nevermores and Griffons. When?" At that Neo pointed out of the window, as Yang looked where the other was pointing, she immediately knew what lay in that direction.

"Beacon. You were injured during the Fall." Even though it was not a question, Neo nodded. "You know, I wouldn't wish a Grimm attack on anybody, but you kinda deserved it for what your lot did to Beacon. Why did you do it? Why help the Fang kill all those people? Got a kick out of that?" Neo narrowed her eyes at Yang, her expression sour. She simply drew her pointer across her neck. Yang just huffed at that. "Threatening me doesn't get you anywhere, shortcake." Neo vigorously shook her head at that. Again she drew her finger across her neck, but this time she followed it up by pointing at herself, which confused Yang.

"What? You want  _me_ to kill you for what you did? That it?" Neo just rolled her eyes and added a few gestures. She pointed at herself then at Beacon again. After that, she waved her finger while shaking her head and then repeated the slice motion. Yang took a few seconds, repeating the gestures in her mind before it dawned on her. "If you didn't help with the attack, they were going to kill you?" At that Neo nodded and did a small bow. "So … that's the reason you were in the hospital and refused to let them help you? Hiding, so the Fang won't come for you? Because I don't buy that mental shutdown caused by injuries thing anymore, not while you have no problem being this jolly now."

Neo reacted quite differently to that. Her eyes went downward, and she went motionless for long enough that Yang was about to call her out for trying the lethargic act again, but then she noticed a hesitant head shake. Not much more happened after that, besides Neo starting to tremble a bit and Yang beginning to think that Neo's condition may be more than just pretense. Without looking up, Neo made a circular motion around her head.

"A circle … circle around the head … a hat?" Neo nodded with her eyes still downcast, but did not offer anything else, leaving Yang to speculate. "A hat … what does a hat have to do with anything? You didn't have a hat when we fought. The only one with a hat … Torchwick? Is this about Torchwick?" Another hesitant nod, followed by Neo shielding her eyes with a hand on her forehead, moving her head from left to right. "Looking around? Were you looking for Torchwick? But … you were in a hospital? How could you look for him from inside of a …." Yang was interrupted by Neo lifting her head. Yang's eyes widened in surprise as she looked into watery miss-colored eyes.

"You were looking … but you didn't find him. You looked even though you were injured … until you couldn't go on anymore. But you couldn't find him." Neo offered another small nod before falling back into her motionless state. Yang frowned at that. She had Neo talking, but now it seemed like she just undid all her process. Yang turned her head to look at Coco, hoping for advice, but her Colonel was rapidly typing on a hospital scroll. Yang was about to call out her name, as Coco stopped typing, stepped towards the door and threw the scroll at Yang. Yang was surprised by that, but managed to catch the device with her hand, opening it to read the text:

_During the Battle of Beacon, Roman Torchwick managed to escape his imprisonment on General Ironwood_ _'s airship. He somehow managed to take control of it and subsequently the Atleasian robots that were networked to it. The ship's black box was damaged from crash-landing in the city, but there was a bit of usable visual data that showed Torchwick on the hull of the ship, ready to attack someone, just before he was eaten alive by a griffon. That's the last bit of information we have about him._

Reading the text again, Yang was pondering what to do with that information. Neo was still relatively motionless, therefore Yang decided to take a chance and put the scroll into Neo's folded hands, so that she could read it. For the longest time, nothing else happened, but then Yang noticed a small tear drop onto the scroll. Instinctively, she reached forward, resting her hand on Neo's shoulder, squeezing it a bit to give some comfort. Both remained like this for a while, then Neo started typing with trembling hands.

" _I think, I always knew he was gone. When he didn't show at our hideouts … I knew. Still, I kept searching …."_

"He … was special to you, wasn't he?"

" _Very. He was the only one, who ever cared about me. I loved him."_

"I … am sorry for your loss." Silence fell over the room following that little exchange. Neo kept staring at the text on the scroll as if lost in thought. Yang exchanged a quick glance with Coco, who was standing at her spot at the window again, now flanked by Doc. The battalion's medic must have arrived sometime after Coco tossed the scroll. Coco just gave Yang a small nod and Yang took this as encouragement.

"Look … the White Fang is still out there. And they are hurting people. We want to stop them, but we can't. We don't know where they are, what they are planning. We hoped you could help us with that … show us hideouts … anything. Anything, so we can get revenge for everybody they hurt. Revenge for Torchwick."

Yang held her breath after that. That last remark was a risk. Neo was smart enough to know that Yang and the other's would not care to revenge Torchwick, but Yang was banking on Neo being emotionally compromised enough at the moment to take that little bait. And after a while, the risk paid off, as Neo opened a map on the scroll and started to mark different spots. Yang exhaled at the sight and turned towards Coco with a smile and a nod.

 

"Can you make any sense of what just happened?" Coco had her arms crossed; her eyes fixed on the scene in front of her.

"Assumption: original diagnosis flawed."

"You think?" Coco huffed and looked at Doc. "How can someone go months without reacting to anything and then do a one-eighty just because of seeing a severed limb? You would think you see a lot of those in a hospital."

"Hypothesis: previous mental state unrelated to injury. By observation, relation to loss of beloved acquaintance likely. Sight of former adversary prepping mental imagines of said beloved. Visual discrepancies to memory possible hard trigger."

"Hard what-now?" Coco furrowed her brows while staring at Doc. "You telling me, that seeing CC like this snapped her out of it just because she remembers her differently?"

"Human mind complex, multifarious. Mental patients often trapped in memory loops. Loop disruption causing return of normal functions. Disruption through visual confrontation with changes possible."

Coco returned her sight back to Neo and Yang. The former showing the latter several spots on the scroll. "And here I thought seeing an old acquaintance also hurt might have triggered some sympathy and understanding."

"Patient with morally questionable past. Criminal. Likely murderer. Sympathy highly misplaced."

Coco rolled her eyes at that. "If you say so Doc."

 

"And you think this one is the most likely?" Neo nodded as Yang indicated a spot outside of Vale City. Altogether there where about a dozen spots marked on the map now, each of them having a small note from Neo attached to it. It ranged from simple things like old hideouts over warehouses to possible base locations. "Thank you, Neo. This will be really useful."

Neo handed the scroll back to Yang and turned towards Yang again. Hands folded in her lap she looked at Yang, waiting for how the former blonde was going to proceed. Which was apparently a good question, since Yang fell silent for a bit. She was unsure what to do. On the one hand, she had what she wanted, but on the other hand, leaving Neo now just felt wrong. Yang's eyes wandered to Neo's injured legs and a thought struck her.

"Hey … I guess you know about your injury, right?" Neo nodded, seemingly emotionless. "They said they couldn't fix the legs without your permission. Shades wanted to do it anyway because of her wartime authority … but I think it should be your decision. So … do you want us to fix them?"

Neo raised an eyebrow at that. She hesitated and threw a brief look at Coco before pointing at the Colonel, then her own legs, and then the scroll.

Yang rubbed her chin for a second. "Shades only wanted to fix your legs because of the information? And now after you gave it, you don't see why they would fix it?" Neo nodded again, and Yang gave her a warm smile. "I told you, they are all about second chances. Might want to stay out of trouble after they fix you though. I don't think they give out a third one."

Neo hesitated, clearly thinking about what Yang said. After a while, she looked at Coco again and held her gaze for a few seconds, then gave the Colonel a single nod. Coco returned the gesture before saying something to Doc who walked to the side, just to return a few moments later with the anesthetist and a nurse. As the physician rolled in a small table with his tools, Yang gave Neo another smile and stood up.

"Pretty sure they want me out for this." The physician gave her a nod and Yang raised the scroll. "I will make sure that Shades gets this. She'll put it to good use, I promise."

Neo nodded and turned towards the nurse, who was trying to get her attention. Yang took that as her cue to leave. Halfway towards the door, she turned once again.

"Hey, Neo?" Mismatched eyes focused on violet. "Why did you decide to open up to me? You didn't have to tell me about Torchwick. So why did you?"

Neo didn't respond right away, but when she did, she simply pointed to herself and Yang with her index fingers and then brought her fingers together, forming an equal sign.

_Equal. I guess you_ _'re right, Neo. You and I … we_ are _the same._  


	32. Choices Made

**Sunday 1810.**

**Four months and three weeks after F.B.**

 

"So, that's what we're looking at. Thoughts?"

Crossing her arms, Coco was looking at the small gathering in the battalion's armory. Most of the officers and recruits were on police duty, so she did not have much to work with.  _This will have to suffice though; we can_ _'t afford to wait any longer._

"Well, I can't just fly y'all there. I mean I can, but they'll see us coming from miles away. And that's bad right?" Brush, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the planning table, looked between the others before gesturing towards the projected map in front of her. "The place is too far out of the city, no chance for approaching from cover. There's a hill in the south-east, though. If I stay low, it could be enough to hide my baby from their sentries, providing they don't have one on the hill itself."

Hacks gently moved Brush's bushy tail to the side as she approached the table to zoom in on the hill. "Rocky terrain with a very steep peak. Doubt that they have a permanent sentry there. There's no place for a camp that would allow the look-out to stay on the top for long periods of time. Might have cameras installed there instead."

"If they have them there, they'll definitely have them in the surrounding forest. The hill at least has a better chance of being surveillance-free. Plus even if they see us approach the hill, we'll still get there faster by airship then on foot through the forest." Fox crossed his arms and looked to Coco. The Colonel had her glasses folded and hooked in the collar of her uniform. "That hill is our best shot, Shades. It's close enough for Hacks to set up camp and cut off everything trying to flee from the ruins. If that's where they are anyway." He gave Coco a pointed look, but she did not even bat an eye.

"I saw CC talk to that Neo girl, seemed legit to me. Doc agrees as well. So either that criminal is one hell of an actor, or she's telling the truth, but I don't see why she would be lying."

Hacks flipped a high caliber round in the air and caught it before pointing it at Coco. "Might be a set-up."

"I highly doubt it, Hacks." Coco shook her head and moved around the table to take a closer look at the hill. "She was in that hospital for months under the wrong name and never did anything to gain our attention. Even injured she is too good of an asset just to sit there and wait for us to accidentally stumble upon her. Maybe if she was waiting to recuperate, sure, but she didn't do that. She just sat there like a discarded animal. Plus there would have been no guarantee that we even question her, we could have just deemed her too risky and eliminate her on the spot. No, that plan would have sucked. She's telling the truth."

"Alright, still doesn't rule out the possibility that she might be wrong. You said it herself; she was in that hospital for months. No way to know if her information is still accurate."

Coco just shrugged at that. "I hear you, Sly. Mouser and myself have already gone over all the locations she gave us. When cross-referencing all known White Fang movements and operations, this place makes sense." Coco gestured around their target and the surrounding areas. "Old ruins with an extensive underground tunnel system, close to thick Grimm populations to scare off unwanted eyes, but not so close that you can't get people in and out. Also conveniently located in the south of Vale City. This place is as good as any for a hideout."

"Alrighty, so we take the scenic route over the coastline and come in low from the south with that hill between them and us. I land my bird, and I drop you three off, then what? And what about the Grimm? If any of them show up to intercept us this whole plan goes awry."

Hacks chuckled at that. "Happy thoughts, Brush. You of all people shouldn't have trouble shrouding us with your joyous ways."

Brush smiled brightly and bumped shoulders with the green-haired woman. "Oh, I know! We could play music on the way there, sing along too! That'll even out our grumpy lovebirds over th …." Brush immediately fell silent and visibly shrunk two sizes under the combined death stare of Fox and Coco.

Coco cleared her throat. "The approach sounds solid. Once we are on the ground Hacks takes position on the hill. Giving the range on your rifle, you should have most of the exits covered. Brush, you'll cover her blind spots in the north from the air once we trigger any alarms. With us in, they won't have the leisure to do something about an airship, and even if they try, your armament can handle them." Both women nod at Coco as the Colonel continues. "Then Sly and I will make our way through the forest and into the tunnels. Once we're in, we'll take the Fang out one by one. We don't know how many of them there are so we should avoid poking the hornet's nest for as long as …."

"This won't work." Coco looked up from the map and directly into Fox' dead eyes.

"Care to elaborate, Sly?"

Fox, with his arms crossed, merely shook his head. "You know exactly what I mean. You're a good leader, Shades. And there's no one I would rather have beside me in a firefight. But on a stealth mission? Not so much."

Coco stood straight, unfazed by the criticism. She had anticipated a response like that. Frankly, she would have been disappointed if Fox had not pointed out the glaring flaw in their plan. "I can't send you in there alone, Sly. That's a two-man job."

"I know that, Boss. Still, you're not the right person for the gig. Send Mouser in; he's even better at sneaking than I am."

"Can't do that, everyone else is thinly spread over the city, especially since I already brought in Hacks. It's us four, no one else I can spare. And even if I would swap Mouser for me, we would lack firepower. The Major is deadly when he can fight on his terms, but if shit hits the fan, you need hunter level power beside you, Sly."

"Then borrow someone from the other battalions."

Coco shook her head. "Too short notice, we would lose precious time waiting for them to come back to the city if they even have the capacities to do so. Besides, if we involve the other battalions word will get to Goodwitch, and the job will go to someone else while we're stuck on police duty."

Brush looked uncomfortably between the two arguing partners. "That wouldn't be so bad though, aye? I mean, it doesn't have to be us, does it? As long as someone gets the job done, we're good?"

Coco turned towards Brush with a weak smile and a head shake. "Wish it would be that easy. We're still operating with … questionable information. Goodwitch will have my ass if she hears about how and from whom we got our lead. Besides, if this does turn out to be a trap would you want to send others in to get hurt because of our mistake?"

Brush frowned and looked down. "Well, no … but …."

Hacks rested her hand on Brush's shoulder. "Fine, no other battalions then. Anyone else we can ask to tag along? You folks got around, right? Must know someone with the skills to pull this off."

Hacks looked between them, Fox was just shrugging, and Coco was rubbing her chin in thought. "There is one we could ask."

At that, Fox turned his head towards Coco; he remained silent for a few seconds before it hit him. "No. Way. I am  _no_ t going in there with someone I don't trust."

Coco threw him a hard stare. "I can't think of anyone better suited for this kind of mission. And the trust issues are based on decisions and methods, not skill; you know that. You'll be more than fine."

Fox slapped his hands on the table hard. "This is a bad idea, Shades!"

Coco sighed and pulled out her scroll. "Maybe, but it's  _my_  call to make, and she's still our best shot at this."

 

 _She kept running. Her legs were burning, she was out of breath, but she kept running. She had to; she had to get there. The corridor was unending. No matter how fast and long she ran it never ended. But it had to end; she had to get closer. All around her screams of agony and death, gunfire and explosion, and Grimm_ _… she had to go faster they needed her. They … she was not sure who they were, she couldn't remember … she just … felt them. Felt the emotions and connections each of them caused in her._ Family _…_ Friendship _…_ Love _. She envisioned_ Friendship _getting shot over and over again by Atlesian knights,_ Family _getting mauled by Grimm_ _…_ Love _getting stabbed and overrun by White Fang_ _…. She had left them alone, had forsaken them because she was too weak to control herself, weak enough to be controlled by the enemy … this was all her fault, so she ran. Ran in hopes to make it in time before they pay for her sins._

 _She could barely press on, but suddenly she saw something. There, in the distance, a pillar of light, she could almost reach it. A feeling of hope sparked in her, fighting against the overwhelming feeling of despair and self-doubt that was trying to overwhelm her. And then she was there, with one of them. Which one was it_ _…_ Friendship _…_ Friendship _was exhausted but alive._ Friendship _pointed to the side, another corridor, another obstacle, a way to the next one_ _… who …_ Love _._

 _Fighting through her exhaustion, panic and fear ushered her on, the screams were getting louder, explosions and fire hit her, threatening to stop her, but she could not stop, she had to reach_ Love _. Then suddenly the corridor was gone. She was all alone in a field of white, nothing there but herself. She stopped, screaming for_ Love _, but the only answer she got was faceless silhouettes charging her, attacking her. She tried to fight them off, but they disappeared before she could hit them, just to attack her from a different side. She was helpless. The explosions and fire returned and left blood and dead bodies in their wake. People she met, people she knew, dead and lifeless. She grieved, felt the guilt of her failure, but still, there was hope. Still, there was_ Love _… and_ Family _; she had to find them, had to help them_ _…._

 _Suddenly a scream, a familiar voice, and her blood ran cold. Everything around her disappeared as she whirled around, the only thing she could see was_ her …Love _… and_ him.  _She felt nothing but_  Hatred  _towards him_.  _His grimace tainted, nightmarish eyes gleaming behind the mask of a monster. She could only watch as he rammed his sword into_ Love _, twisting it deeper and deeper, electing screams of pure anguish and pain. As she saw_ Love _'s blood flowing out, a deep red staining the white floor she lost all reason. Forgotten was her exhaustion, forgotten her fear. Pure anger flooded her senses as she charged_ Hatred _. She was so close, almost there, almost able to rip him to shreds with her own hands, but then she saw his wicked smirk and the whole world turned to black._

 _She had been there before, many times; she knew this feeling. Failure. Uselessness. She learned to embrace it. She failed, and so she gave in, let the darkness take her like she always had_ _… but then another scream ripped through her mind. She turned again, and she saw someone else. Felt something else. Not_ Love _, not_ Friendship _, not_ Family _… she was not sure what she was feeling towards the other, and like before she could not make out their face. But she saw that the other was trapped, screaming for someone as another figure approached …_ Guilt _… she did not know why but the feeling washed over her with an intensity that paralyzed her. Laughing, menacing_ Guilt _started to incinerate the other person, turning their screams into pure agony. She could only watch, watch as the other was burned alive, watch their clothes catch fire, watch their long hair fizzle away, watch the brown fur on her ears turn black_ _… fur … ears …. Suddenly she recognized the other person, someone who was there before, but had not been important … but that had changed. Slowly she could see her clearer, and she could feel something rising within herself … something she felt before, something familiar …._

 _She charged_ Guilt _, threw herself onto him. Her thoughts never been clearer: kill him, save her, KILL HIM. She ripped his tusk out, rammed it through his skull, over and over again. Her screams wild and primal, the fire moving towards her, surrounding her, accepting her as its own. His head, a destroyed mass of flesh and bones between her hands, blood covering her entire body, the tusk still firmly in her hand, prove of what she had done. She heard a voice calling for her. As she turned, her mind clouded with rage; she saw the other. She could see her clearly, saw the smile on her lips, the fondness in her eyes_ _…._

 _With another bestial scream she charged towards her, tusk held high, bringing it down with force_ _…._

 

**Monday 0320.**

**Four months and four weeks after F.B.**

 

With a sharp gasp, Yang woke up, jolting into a sitting position. She scanned her surroundings quickly, confused, panicked. She was hyperventilating and sweating profusely, but slowly she realized where she was. The hospital. Her bed. Just a dream. A nightmare. Panting heavily she tried to get her panic to subside, only partly managing to do so.

"This one was worse than the others."

Startled by the sudden voice, Yang turned her head towards the second bed, her eyes struggling to adjust to the darkness of the room. For a moment her heart stopped, as she saw Velvet just like she had seen her moments before: her skin burned, the brown hair burned away, her faunus ears charred stumps … but then her mind caught up, and she saw a concerned look in gentle brown eyes.

"How did you know?"

Velvet turned around to face Yang better. She pulled her legs to her chin, hugging them tightly and resting her head on them. "I'm sorry. I can't help it. We sleep in the same barracks, or hospital room, for a while now, and I tend to pick up a lot during the nights." Yang still had trouble with the barely lit room, but she could clearly see Velvet folding her ears down. "It doesn't take much to stir me awake, so I noticed you having nightmares from time to time."

Yang nodded with a weak smile. "Oh. I'm sorry, Velvet. I didn't know I was waking you up all these times."

"It's not your fault. Besides you're hardly the only one with nightmares. More often then not I was already awake anyway. Plus, I can't blame you for making noise while sleeping. Not like you tried to quietly make out every other day in the old school dorms, like certain other people did, hoping your teammate with heightened hearing would be deaf." Velvet could not help but chuckle at that, and even Yang had to smile. "I thought it was getting better though. Your nightmares I mean. I haven't noticed you having them that much lately. And I can't remember them being this vivid. Are you alright?"

Yang opened her mouth for a quick, practiced reply, but hesitated. Ever since the Fall, her go-to reply was a harsh response and affirmation that she was indeed fine and then a quick change of subject. But this time something compelled her to consider telling the truth. Maybe it was just the feeling that she owed Velvet for waking her up before, but she could not be sure.

"Ever since the tournament I have the same nightmare. I'm … back in the school, but it's different … less detailed and more … symbolic I guess? Nothing is really … tangible. I mean, I don't even recognize the people in there … well, I  _know_  who they are supposed to be but I just can't … see them. It's more like … feeling them … what they mean to me, you know?" Velvet offered a small nod and Yang continued. "You pretty much have me figured out at this point, so you know that I blamed myself for my shortcomings. It's pretty much about that. Me running and running … trying to reach my team, feeling it is my fault that they are in danger. And I know you, Shades, and Sly are trying to get me to understand that I should not blame myself so much and I get it, I really try. Maybe that's why I didn't have the nightmare lately. This time though it changed."

Yang turned towards Velvet and crossed her legs, her hand resting in her lap, avoiding eye contact. "It went on like usual at first and ended the same way it always does: me failing my attack on Taurus, failing to save Blake … but this time it didn't stop there. I didn't wake up …. This time I heard  _you_."

Yang refused to look up, but she could hear Velvet shuffling on her bed. "But … like the others … I didn't know it was you at first though. It was all kinda hazy. I just heard a scream and when I turned around you were there … and you were getting incinerated by that White Fang Captain. I … I saw you burn and scream in agony and I did nothing … I looked at that Captain and … it was like I was paralysed … I could only watch. And I watched and watched and slowly I began to realize that it was you, I mean, I  _knew_  it was you from context, but now in the dream I  _knew,_ I could see. Urgh, this is confusing ….You were the one getting hurt and I just …. I just lost it. I charged that guy … blinded by rage and anger and I …. Gods I completely massacred him. I killed him … I …."

"I know what that feels like." With tears in her eyes, Yang looked up to see Velvet looking at her with a look of sadness and defeat. Her ears were drooping, and she seemed to be shrinking into herself. "The first time I had to … kill someone. I think I told you about it. The day we killed Fang terrorists without giving them a chance. I remember everything distinctly, but there was still this uncertainty about it. I was convinced that it was my bullet that killed that man. But I was not sure. There's a certain anonymity in an operation like that. A day later there was no doubt about it though as some grunts jumped us on patrol and I ran daggers through a woman's heart and throat." Velvet broke eye contact, as she turned her head and rested her cheek on her knees. "Every time I close my eyes, I can hear the gurgling sounds she made, I can feel her blood gushing onto my face, see her eyes widening as she realized that she was going to die …."

Yang raised her quivering hand, staring at it, unable to close the opened fingers. "I … it felt so real. As if I was reliving it again, I rammed that tusk into his skull until there was nothing left. I could hear the bones crack; I can smell his blood, it was all over me, all over me … I completely lost control, like a rabid animal, and then, then …."

Yang felt the bed dip as Velvet sat down in front of her. The faunus grabbed her hand with her own to prevent it from shaking. "It was just a nightmare, Yang. You didn't do all those things … not like that. You ran him through, and killed him and that was it. A clean kill."

As she looked up, she could see Velvet's honest smile and Yang believed her, only to remember what she did in the dream. Then suddenly a horrific feeling came over her. She shied away from Velvet, withdrawing her hand and bringing it to her chest. She couldn't look Velvet into the eyes as fear crawled into her.

Yang couldn't see it, but Velvet looked alarmed and concerned. "What's wrong, Yang?"

Velvet tried to close the distance between them, but Yang instinctively moved further away. "There was … something else. After I killed him I … turned towards you. You … were beaten up, hurt … but you seemed genuinely happy to see me; you smiled and I … I …."

Velvet tried to shuffle closer again. "Yang it's okay. You don't need to tell me. I'm here for you, I …."

"No! Stay away from me!" Yang used her hand to shove Velvet away, retreating as far away on the bed as she could. Shaking like a leaf, her voice was barely audible. "I don't want to hurt you …."

Velvet looked shocked at Yang's reaction. For all the progress the brawler had made in the last weeks it was easy to forget that underneath everything, Yang, like everyone else, was still far from healed. And Velvet was getting a harsh reminder of that. "Yang you'll never hurt me … you never have and you'll never will … so please … just tell me what happened."

Yang did not respond right away. Both women sat there in silence for a while until Yang managed a weak reply. "I attacked you."

"You only attacked me in your nightmare."

Yang shook her head. "It felt real and … when you were so close right now … I could feel it. Could feel how it was to raise my hand, charging you … it felt like I had done it before and …."

Talking distracted Yang long enough that Velvet could close the distance between them and throw her arms around Yang. Yang struggled and screamed, trying to get away from Velvet, but the faunus managed to constrict the human's arm and pull her onto her lap. Hugging her tightly, she buried Yang's head in her shoulder, holding her there with one hand while whispering in her ear, trying to calm her down, trying to ensure her that she was fine and that Yang would never hurt her.

Velvet did not know how long it took for Yang to calm down, but when she did, Yang returned the embrace as well as she could.

"I'm afraid, Velvet. I'm afraid that I lose control like that and hurt someone I love. Hurt you."

Velvet was briefly stunned by that statement, unsure if Yang realized how that sounded. Shaking the thought, Velvet drew her head back and rested her forehead against Yang's. With her hand still behind the human's neck, she held Yang close as her eyes looked into teary violet orbs. "You will not hurt me, kitten. Never. I truly believe that. I trust you. More than anyone else. You took a life, and the guilt of that meshed with all your fears. That is completely normal. It was just a nightmare. And nightmares are liars. Don't listen to them, listen to me. You are not a killer. That guy was. And he tried to kill me, but you protected me, you saved my life. That doesn't make you a murderer, that makes you a hero. My hero."

"But my rage …."

"Does not control you. It empowers you, gives you the strength needed to protect who is important to you. That's who you are, kitten. You're my fierce protector. You will do everything to protect, not hurt."

Yang remained silent again; it took a few heartbeats before she answered. "So … that's it then … what you said, when you cut my hair."

"What do you mean?"

"You said that I was unlike Shades, that I still have a choice to walk away from all this before it's too late. Before I make a decision I can not walk away from. But then, like you and the others, I had to make a choice and now I have blood on my hands, too. Guess that means I made my choice now."

"Yeah … I guess it does." Velvet hugged Yang tighter, burying her face in the other woman's shoulder, as Yang did the same.

"Hey … Velvet?"

"Hmm?"

"Can we … stay like this for a while?"

"Of course, kitten. For as long as you want."


	33. Unnecessary Sacrifices

 

**Tuesday 0930.**

**Three months and two weeks after F.B.**

 

"I'm hit! I'm hit! Losing altitude fast!"

Fox' head whipped around at the distress call. The blind hunter knew he could not stretch his aura to reach the source, but he'll be damned if he did not try anyway.

"Tick, here. Brush, your port engine is aflame, the dust fuel is about to ignite! Get out of there! Eject, eject, ejeaaaaaaargh …."

Fox could hear a distant explosion and feel the subsequent shock wave swipe over his body. He had no need for eyes to understand what happened; the looming dread surrounding the battalion was unmistakable.

"Shit … that second blast cut right through Tick's bullhead. No way they survived that." Yatsuhashi's voice was uneven, heavy with emotion. Seconds later the radio sprang to life again.

"Brush here! I'm out! Good chute. I don't have a visual on my gunners or Tick's crew … can anybody see a chu …."

"We're unde … tack!" Another distress call cut out Brush's. It was barely audible and cut out every other word. "… repeat … der attack. It's … White Fang …. Prof's … one. … whore ripped …. Didn … know wha … hit her."

Coco shoved past Fox towards the back of the armored convoy, staring at the rear Team CRDL and Colonel Peach were covering.

"Grinder, clear that signal up! Breaker, repeat the last. We can barely hear you. What's happening?"

"It's … ambush! Prof's dead." Cardin's voice was clearer this time, though still hard to hear through background explosions and gunfire. "We're … fall back. Need … assistance."

It took Coco less than a second to spring into action. "You heard him! Big O, get the convoy turned around, defensive formation. Everyone else, man the guns. Gadget, Sly, go back up Breaker and his boys, double time!" Everyone was moving right away. Velvet appeared at Fox' side, and they started to run.

_They_ _'re still in the canyon we just left. Giving my and Velv's top speed, we should be there in twenty-five seconds. Thirty tops. They can easily hold that long._

Both of them were just past Coco now and about to jump over the railing that separated the transport deck of the oversized transport truck from the dirt road below as they heard a sharp command.

"Belay that order! Keep the convoy on course, full throttle!"

This stopped them dead in their tracks. Velvet, Fox, and Coco whirled around to stare at the speaker.

"What?"

Blake Belladonna stepped up to Coco, crossing her arms. "You heard me. We're not stopping."

Fox looked briefly back towards the now rapidly distancing canyon before returning his attention to his team leader.

_Fifteen seconds._

Coco was outraged. "Are you mad, Lucky? We need to get into the fight! They'll die if we don't!"

Blake did not even flinch at Coco's raised voice. "You are only here to protect us, Shades. I'm in charge of the convoy, and I say we get the hell out of here."

Fox was almost blinded a second time by Coco's aura blazing in anger as she came nose to nose with Blake. "Didn't you hear me? Our friends are about to die! So turn this convoy around, so we have the firepower to …."

"I am not risking Faunus lives for Team fucking CRDL! We're out of here."

_Thirty seconds. We would have been there by now._

" _WHAT?"_ Coco was gripping Blake by the collar now. _"_ I'd break your face for that, but we  _need_  to turn around!"

Blake did not seem in the least bothered by Coco's reaction, nor did she show any sort of urgency. "Our air support is already gone, Shades. We need to cut our losses and make a run for it."

"Make a run for it? Are you mental? The Fang obviously caught up with us. What the fuck do you think will happen after they overrun our rear guard? They'll catch up again! We need to engage now before we lose any more troops! It's still two hours until we reach Vale, we'll never make it!"

"And I say we keep going. Again, you are only here to protect us, Shades. I'm in charge here, not you."

"Fuck you, Lucky!" Coco gave Blake a hard shove and turned around, raising her voice. "7th, to me! We'll engage."

Blake stood still and only replied calmly. "If even a single one of you leave this convoy I'll make sure we turn right around after we reach Vale and take every single speck of dust with us. I'd like to see you explain to General Goodwitch how you ruined this precious dust deal of ours." The whole battalion stopped, staring at Blake, except Coco who refused to turn around and had her gaze fixed on the canyon behind them.

"Was that an order, Belladonna?"

"Take a guess, Major. Now do your job and get us to Vale safely."

For a few seconds, it seemed like Coco was about to object. Hell, every single one of them was about to snap at the Faunus and go rescue their comrades, but the decision was made for them before they reached a conclusion.

"She's right, Shades." The moment they heard Cardin's voice, suddenly everyone realized that he and his team had to listen to the entire discussion while fighting for their lives. It made Fox' stomach turn. "You need to get out of here! You need to tell Headquarters what's happening!"

Cardin's voice sounded strained, as if he was running, the sounds of gunfire and explosions a bit further away then before. Coco shook her head violently in response. "Don't be stupid, Breaker! You boys are more important than telling Goodwitch about a bloody White Fang ambush!"

"Doesn't matter. Slasher and Swinger are dead." Fox felt something heavy drop in his stomach as he heard these words. "And didn't you hear me before? It's  _not_ the Fang. It's Atlas!"

" _What_? Breaker, confirm!"

"It's Atlas specialists! Don't ask if I'm certain; it's  _her._ It's fucking …", a violent explosion and a high pitched scream of agony drowned out his response. "… fuck, Stabber's gone, too. Look, Shades, it's her, I got hit by her semblance enough times to know it anywhere. It's Atlas! You need to get out of here and warn Goodwitch." There was a pause followed by more explosions. "I've got an idea to buy you some time. Shades … Coco, it was a pleasure serving with you guys. We'll leave the rest up to you, get this shit done." With that, the radio went silent.

"What? Breaker? Come in!  _Breaker!_ Bre … Cardin! Fuck's sake Cardin! Come in!"

Coco almost threw herself over the railing as she pressed against it with her binoculars. A few seconds later a massive explosion was heard from the canyon followed by an overwhelming amount of noise. A sharp metallic thumb was heard as Coco dropped her binoculars to the steel walkway.

"He aimed his semblance at the side of the canyon. Brought the entire cliff down. No way they can dig themselves out fast enough to follow."

"Good, then we should have no problem reaching Vale without further disturbances." Blake coldly turned on her heels, leaving the remaining members of the battalion alone in their grief.

Grief, however, was not the emotion that Fox felt. He was seething with rage as he finished his mental counting.

_Six minutes, forty seconds. We would have had more than enough time to get them out._

**Monday 0640.**

**Four months and three weeks after F.B.**

 

Fox was not quite sure which was worse: trying to send out his aura mid-jump to find branches strong enough for him to land on, or being almost certain by now that there was not even a point in being so cautious. They were sneaking through the trees for the better part of half an hour now, and there was still no sign of surveillance or guards of any form.

_Might as well drop to the ground and walk up to the ruins directly. But that is not up to me now, is it?_

Up ahead, the cause of Fox' ire was perched on a different tree, calmly scanning their surroundings. As much as he hated to admit it, Fox had to concede the point: Blake indeed knew what she was doing, however pointless it may seem at the moment. The second they left Brush's bullhead and snuck into the forest, the Faunus showed quite the expertise in moving unnoticed. Fox shook his head and made the next jump. He had to stay focused on the task at hand, now was not the time to dwell on his grudge against Blake. He had a job to do after all.

A few jumps later and they reached the edge of the forest. The ruin lay before them, still surrounded by darkness, the sun not yet rising on this winter morning. That was another point in favor of Coco's decision to bring Blake along. While Fox had no trouble in the dark, since he could not see one way or the other, Blake had none either. The cat Faunus was likely even better in the dark than in the light. Neither night- nor aura-vision spotted any surveillance, so they dropped silently to the ground, wasting no time charging directly to the next cover.

The dark-clad hunters left faint tracks in the otherwise pristine snow. If the Fang was using this ruin as a base of operations, they likely had not ordered take-out to the front door for a long time. With nothing more than quick hand signals, Fox and Blake made their way to the entrance of the ruin's main complex. Years ago this place served as a forward outpost used to keep the Grimm at bay. The compound had been built above an old ore mine, the tunnels providing convenient space for storage and troops. Unfortunately, that convenience was the ultimate downfall of the outpost, as Grimm had used the tunnels for an attack that wiped out the whole operation from the inside. Since then, Hunters had eradicated the Grimm and sealed the underground system. Therefore, said tunnel system was precisely where the 7th expected the White Fang to hide.

Much like the forest, there did not seem to be any surveillance in the ruins either. Pressed against the wall next to the entrance Blake was counting down with her fingers, prompting Fox to ready his weapons. There was only a slim chance for any guards to be in there, but slim or not, he was not willing to take that chance. The countdown finished, and they both slipped into the complex, ready to face … rubble.

Fox sent out a thorough burst of his aura to check their surroundings, but it only confirmed his suspicions. The entire inside of the complex was buried with debris, concrete, and other materials, making it impossible to reach lower levels. He sighed deeply and lowered his weapons.  _Screw this. All this effort for nothing. What a drag._

Fox leaned against the wall and tapped his earpiece. "Sly to Shades. This thing's a bust."

"Damn. You sure?" It took Coco less than a second to reply, and Fox could picture his leader pacing impatiently in Brush's Bullhead, waiting for a report.

"Positive. The inside is sealed as it should be, there's no way that …."

"There's a hidden panel behind these rocks." Fox turned his head as Blake interrupted him. The Faunus had been perched on the right side of the debris and was now standing, trying to squeeze herself behind a particularly massive chunk of rubble.

"Standby, Shades. Seems like we might be onto something, yet." Fox walked up to Blake, just as the Faunus disappeared behind the rubble. "What you got?"

"Ventilation shaft. It's not sealed like the entrances and the metal seems relatively new."

"Seems unlikely that the Hunters just forgot to seal a shaft. So what are you thinking? Fang using the tunnels, but from another entrance?" A metal lid appeared out of the rubble for an answer. Fox silently grabbed it and moved it out of the way.

"Yeah, this is definitely maintained. The inside is clean, and I can feel a clear draft coming from below. There are some small vibrations too, likely from fans."

"Got it." Fox tapped his earpiece again. "Shades, we found a ventilation shaft. Seems new and working. Someone's most definitely down there."

"Copy that, Sly. Can you use that shaft to enter?"

"It's a rather big one, Sly and I should have no trouble going in. That much metal will interfere with the radio though."

"Do we look like amateurs, Lucky. Gadget tinkered something especially for this kind of situation. Essentially something like portable signal boosters. I grabbed some before we came here, figured they might come in handy. As long as we drop a few of these along the way we should be able to keep the signal going."

Blake did not comment on that, and after a few seconds, it was Coco who replied. "Okay. Move in, but keep the connection open so you can call for backup the second things go awry."

"Roger, Shades. We keep you posted." With that, Fox procured a small metal box from his pockets. He took a few seconds to adjust the frequency before attaching the device to the rubble. He turned to inform Blake, but the Faunus had already disappeared into the shaft.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah ... life happened. 
> 
> I'm sorry for the long wait, I hope you enjoy the new chapter.


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